Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Workers of Elmwood Taco and Subs, the eatery adjacent to the first unionized Starbucks in Buffalo, are the next group of workers looking to unionize.
A handful of workers stood outside the shop early Monday morning to announce the efforts and why the feel they would best be represented by forming a union.
"We have a great group of people who work here, everybody loves this place and they want to see this place have the best sort of environment possible and that's what this union is all about," said Zachariah Eyler, a shift supervisor of Elmwood Taco and Subs.
A majority of the 25 workers have signed union cards to support the efforts and an election will be conducted "very soon," according to Eyler.
ETS workers are organizing with Workers United Upstate New York, the same union that Starbucks, Lexington Coop, Remedy House, and Spot Coffee workers have organized with.
In a letter to management the workers wrote, "We are forming a union. We the workers of ETS demand better! We have long discussed among ourselves the grievances we've had against our treatment by management.… We stand together, and shall advance with the utmost confidence, professionalism and love for the craft into the future of ETS."
"We just want the workers to be treated with respect," says Abel Lopez. "We want to feel safe when we come in, we want to be able to to talk to our bosses, without fearing that we might get wrongfully fired for giving a little bit of criticism. We just want to be loved and cherished at work and be appreciated for the work that we do with the hard work we do."
Criticisms have not been heard according to the ETS workers.
"These business practices that they've chosen to go with are negatively affecting our work experience and our lives," said Eyler. "They they have fired a few people, for very unjust reasons. We were promised raises back in June."
"Also, [workers] wanted more scheduling more hours and they would say they would accommodate and then it would fall through to the point where people that have been asking still," said Mary Grant.
"And that will drive somebody to quit," Eyler added. "They need that money, they need to be able to support themselves. And you know, it's not very sustainable when you have your boss saying, 'Hey, I'll give you more hours. But then at the end of the week, you've got a day or two.'
