(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Workers at a Far North Side Starbucks store went on a 24-hour strike Tuesday, during one of the busiest days of the year.
On Fall launch day, Starbucks rolls out its famed pumpkin spice latte and other autumn treats, but workers at the store on Clark and Ridge in Edgewater effectively said, “No contract? No coffee.”
“We wanted to kind of hit them hard if they didn't respond to our demands to say we're not going to sit down and take it and just let you continue to ignore us,” said barista Shepard Searl.
Employees at the store voted to unionize with Workers United in May, but have yet to negotiate a contract with the coffee chain.
The one-day strike was part of an effort to protest what staff say are unfair labor practices and unfair corrective action against coworkers.
“We started facing unethical write-ups and things that went against Starbucks’ policy, specifically targeting union organizers,” said Searl.
Last Friday, workers gave a district manager a list of demands that include halting the unjust corrective actions taken against organizers and rescinding the final notice warnings that have been unfairly placed on organizers.
Instead of receiving a response, Searl claims the district manager gave a union leader a final written warning for a late shift they had three weeks ago.
“Starbucks is, at every turn, trying unlawfully to kind of bash down the workers, but we are standing up and we will continue to fight,” Searl said.
Baristas at the Ridge and Clark store also went on strike for two days in July over staffing coverage and labor cuts.
A Starbucks spokesperson offered the following statement in response to the strike:
"We currently have a strike happening outside the Ridge & Clark 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.”
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