BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Dozens of protesters packed the sidewalk and picketed next to Spot Coffee in Downtown Buffalo at the corner of Chippewa and Delaware to lend their support to Spot employees wanting to unionize.
Protesters at Monday's rally called on the company to meet a list of demands including:
- Immediately reinstate the fired employees with back pay
- Release a public apology
- Follow "ethical guidelines for union organizing"
A boycott of any kind has not been called yet, but protesters urge one may happen soon if the demands are not timely met.
"The employers firing and threat to fire other workers have created a climate of fear in the workforce. We demand that Spot management admit to their anti-union activity, apologize for it and pledge to never do it again," one of the speakers said at the rally.
Monday evening's rally coming after other protests earlier this month, where three employees shared their belief that they were unfairly fired from Buffalo-based Spot Coffee locations after organizing a meeting to discuss unionizing. This coming after a Rochester Spot Coffee successfully voted to unionize. Those same employees spoke out once again Monday.
7 Eyewitness News reached out to Spot Coffee for comment, but have yet to hear back Monday evening.
