Starbucks Employees Walk Out Of East Colfax Location Amid Calls To Unionize

DENVER (CBS4)- Some Denver Starbucks employees walked out early Friday morning to picket in front of the coffee shop. They were carrying signs, some of them read "Union Strong."

The location the employees walked out of is at 2975 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver, near the intersection of Colfax and Milwaukee. They said they are striking to protest alleged unfair labor practices by the Seattle-based coffee chain.

In January, some Starbucks employees at that location told CBS4 that they didn't feel the company was practicing safe working standards during the pandemic.

Copter4 flew over the location where a couple of dozen employees were picketing and carrying signs that read "I Want My Coffee Union Made" and "We Support Starbucks Workers." The picketers were blocking the entrance to the store from the street.

According to Workers United (SEIU), "formal charges have been filed against Starbucks with the National Labor Relations Board, the Federal agency responsible for investigating misconduct during union organizing drives."

"We are striking today to call attention to Starbuck's retaliatory and intimidating actions, including but not limited to: cutting hours, thus threatening livelihoods and access to (benefits such as) schooling and insurance; baseless final warnings for (alleged violations of) vague and inconsistently enforced policies, and spying on and otherwise monitoring pro-union partners and their activities," said Starbucks shift supervisor Michaela Sellaro, in a statement.