Above Photo: Pro-union pins sit on a table during a watch party for Starbucks’ employees union election, Dec. 9, 2021, in Buffalo, N.Y. Starbucks has fired seven employees who were leading an effort to unionize a Memphis, Tennessee, store. The Seattle coffee giant said Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022 that the employees violated company policy by reopening a store after closing time and inviting non-employees to come inside and move throughout the store, including behind the counter and in back rooms. The employees used the store to do an interview with a local television station about their unionizing effort. AP Photo / Joshua Bessex, File.
Kansas City, Missouri – Workers at the Overland Park Starbucks location at 10201 W 75th Street walked out on strike Saturday morning.
According to a release, the walk out strike was planned for Saturday at 8 a.m. to protest unfair labor practices.
Workers at the Starbucks location say that management has threatened and retaliated against employees for organizing a union at the location, according to the release.
“The response to our union campaign from our district manager, Sara Jenkins has been aggressive. She has cornered us one on one, sometimes with another manager to intimidate us. Forced us to decide between being demoted, resigning or changing availability that conflicts with college classes and second jobs…We want the one-on-ones to stop,” Starbucks employee Hannah Edwards said in a statement.
A media relations coordinator with Chicago & Midwest Regional Joint Board of Workers United confirmed the strike took place as planned and would last until 5 p.m.
The release says that according to Workers United, formal charges have been filed against Starbucks with the National Labor Relations Board.
“Our organization is legal and protected by law and we expect that to be respected going forward,” Edwards said.
The strike follows protests from Kansas City Starbucks employees earlier this month.
“I hope this strike sends a message to partners everywhere that we are many, we are strong, and we are here for good– and to Starbucks that their unethical union-busting campaign is a waste of resources,” said Chris Fielder, a Kansas City Starbucks worker in a statement.