Two former employees at the Market Square Starbucks claim they were fired over their efforts to unionize.
A rally was held outside the store Thursday in support of Tori Tambellini and Kim Manfre - who have both been involved in unionizing at several Pittsburgh area Starbucks in recent months.
Tambellini believes managers escalated smaller infractions - like forgetting to lock the store door or tardiness - to fire them.
"They enforced policies in a way that they wouldn't typically enforce them, they checked the alarm codes to see when we got there and compared it with our punch logs. They did a lot of things they normally wouldn't have done for other partners."
In a statement, Starbucks said the two employees were fired over violating time and attendance policies. Tambellini says she and Manfre are hoping to have their employment reinstated.
"These individuals are no longer with Starbucks for violations of time and attendance policies. Time and attendance violations significantly impact our ability to properly run our stores and creates undue stress for the other partners on a shift. A partner's interest in a union does not exempt them from the standards we have always held. We will continue to consistently enforce our policies."
Tori Tambellini and Kim Manfre say they were fired Wednesday, after months of unionizing efforts at stores across the city.
Tambellini claims she asked for a union representative in her meeting with her bosses, but they said it didn't apply.
"I let them know that it was illegal for them to deny me… and that I was extremely uncomfortable having that conversation at that time.
And they said 'well we're going to hand this to you anyway and handed me a notice of termination".
As Starbucks unionizing efforts continue to grow over the nation, Tambellini believes they were fired in retaliation for unionizing. A month after their store voted to unionize, Tambellini believes managers escalated the smaller infractions as an excuse.
"I want to see them stop unfairly discriminating and retaliating against union supporters at not just my stores but stores nationwide".
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