Pittsburgh Starbucks store shuts down for day amid 3-day strike
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - More than 1,000 baristas at around 1,000 Starbucks union stores have gone on strike, which includes the Starbucks store on the South Side.
The baristas are saying it's because of Starbucks' "anti-union bullying." They're asking the company to come to the negotiating table with unionized stores.
According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, managers who crossed the picket line during Friday's strike shut the store down. The TRIB was told by workers that customers turned away when learning about their labor efforts.
"Partners are not able to afford to eat. I've known people, personally, who have had their hours cut, especially after unionizing, to the point where they have to go sell plasma to try and pay their rent," said Abbie Levans, a barista at the South Side Starbucks.
When Starbucks workers walked out on Nov. 17, the company said it respects its employees' rights to lawfully protest and added, the protests are happening at a small number of it stores.