New York
CNN
—
Starbucks has fired a Buffalo, New York, employee who “ignited a motion” from one of many first shops within the espresso chain to unionize, Starbucks Employees United stated Friday.
The firing got here the identical week that former CEO Howard Schultz testified earlier than Congress, the place he was grilled by lawmakers for the corporate’s labor practices and alleged union-busting.
Alexis Rizzo had been shift supervisor on the Genesee Avenue retailer in Buffalo for 7 years, the union stated. That retailer was one of many first of two places to formally win their union campaigns in January 2022 after the federal labor board certified its results. Rizzo was the employee who first contacted the union.
“That is retaliation at its worst,” a press release from Starbucks Employees United stated. The union famous two different workers have been fired and a union chief was written up.
CNN remains to be searching for remark from Starbucks and Rizzo.
“As an alternative of negotiating a primary union contract as required by legislation, Starbucks has chosen to double down on its unlawful union-busting by firing Alexis Rizzo,” Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted Friday night time, saying Rizzo “should be reinstated.”
The professional-union senator positioned strain on Schultz’s alleged union-busting techniques when he testified earlier than the Senate’s Committee on Well being, Training, Labor & Pensions on Wednesday.
“Over the previous 18 months, Starbucks has waged essentially the most aggressive and unlawful union-busting marketing campaign within the fashionable historical past of our nation,” stated Sanders.
Schultz famous throughout the listening to that the corporate’s baristas earn a mean of $17.50 an hour, which is greater than the minimal wage in a number of states, “together with, respectfully Chairman Sanders’ [state],” referring to Vermont.
The three-time CEO asserted he prefers the corporate to have a direct relationship with its workers as a substitute of going by way of a union, denying the corporate violated labor legal guidelines or that he was a union buster.
Practically 300 places have voted to hitch Starbucks Employees United. Nationwide Labor Relations Board judges discovered Starbucks has dedicated 130 labor violations and the company has issued greater than 70 official complaints towards it. Starbucks has filed its personal collection of complaints towards the union, and in his testimony earlier than Congress, Schultz stated the corporate considers these claims “allegations,” not findings of reality.
Starbucks and the union have but to signal a contract.
“What’s outrageous to me shouldn’t be solely Starbucks’ anti-union actions and their willingness to interrupt the legislation, it’s their calculated and intentional efforts to stall, stall and stall,” Sanders stated throughout the listening to.
In a press release, the union stated, “Starbucks can fireplace our leaders, however they can’t cease our motion or cease the general public from seeing the reality.”