CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Genesee Street Starbucks in Cheektowaga is now the fourth Buffalo location to go on strike in July.
The location's employees claim that the company has a "lack of appreciation for workers' hard work."
The Genesee Street employees additionally claimed that Starbucks committed a list of unfair labor practices such as understaffing, overworking baristas and shift supervisors during shifts, and frequently closing the store early.
"We have partners and supervisors, including a pregnant supervisor, not having their needs or accommodations met," Genesee Street shift supervisor Lexi Rizzo said. "We have dedicated baristas who are getting their transfers denied because of our 'union status.' This is union busting and this is unacceptable."
Employees will be on strike for three days starting Friday, July 29 until Sunday, July 31. They plan to return to work at the store on Monday, Aug. 1.
When asked for comment, a Starbucks spokesperson told 7News that they "currently have a strike happening outside of the Genesee Street store location. Starbucks has great partners and we value their contributions. We respect our partners' right to engage in any legally protected activity or protest without retaliation. We are grateful for each partner who continues to work and we always do our best to listen to the concerns of all our partners."
