Workers at a Minneapolis Starbucks Are on Strike | Eater Twin Cities

"On August 1, workers at a Cedar Avenue Starbucks staged a two-day strike — having been on the picket line since Sunday with “Fair Wages for Fair Work” signs, blasting music, and receiving honks of support — to protest staffing cuts, unilateral schedule changes, and management’s refusal to bargain following the store’s successful unionization in May. Emily Mahoney, a barista, says the store has faced staffing cuts and unilateral changes since organizing, that management ignored months-old bargaining and responded only with a dismissive message before going essentially radio silent, and that the strike is meant to show workers are united and willing to escalate if necessary. Workers also say management moved opening and closing times a half hour later — a unilateral change they view as a power play and a violation of federal labor law — and have filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the NLRB. Barista Rosita Montes-Lopez describes chronic understaffing, noting the drive-thru should typically have two people but often has only one, forcing staff to take orders, process payments, hand out orders, and even make drinks, which she says makes daily operations stressful and undermines basic functioning." - Justine Jones