The workers’ committee said it was filing an allegation of unfair labor practices before the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that Starbucks is making a “clear attempt to scare workers across the country,” a statement from Starbucks Workers United press.
On Friday, Starbucks informed employees of its location on College Avenue, near Cornell University, that the store will close in a week, according to the press release.
In April, all three Starbucks locations in Ithaca voted in favor of unionization, making Ithaca the company’s first fully unionized city in the United States, according to the union’s press release.
On April 16, workers at the College Avenue store went on strike, demanding “unsafe working conditions” due to a “waste emergency” caused by an overflowing fat trap, the union said.
Nadia Vitek, a local bartender who will soon be closed, said the grease trap had been a constant problem creating a “horrible” smell that even customers could notice. They said there was oil all over the store floor.
“They’re closing the store now and the only specific reason they’re giving us is the fat trap,” Vitek said. “And it feels cheeky when you connect the dots.”
On Friday, the store’s district manager held a meeting with Microsoft Teams staff to announce the store’s closure, Vitek said.
“I was shaking as I heard the news,” Vitek said. “They didn’t even explain to the call that it was a permanent closure. I got that in an email from Starbucks’ anti-union lawyer.”
A company spokesman said Starbucks opens and closes stores as part of its regular operations. They did not comment on the specific reasons for the Ithaca closure, nor did they answer any questions beyond the statement.
“Our local, regional and national leaders have been working with humility, deep care and urgency to create the kind of in-store environment that partners and customers expect from Starbucks,” the Starbucks spokesman said. “Our goal is to ensure that each partner has support in their individual situation and we have immediate opportunities available in the market.”
But some Starbucks workers at the location are worried about having enough hours, as other stores in the area are already struggling, Vitek said.
“Starbucks is pursuing a strategy of splitting and conquering. But, you know, even though we’re in mourning, we’re all ready to fight,” Vitek said.
Workers United, a subsidiary of Service Employees International Union that supports Starbucks employees, has also filed dozens of complaints against the coffee giant.
“It’s a violation of federal labor law to close a store because workers exercised their legal rights,” Starbucks Workers United lawyer Ian Hayes wrote in a statement to CNN Business. “We have no doubt that the NLRB will prosecute the company for this illegal union breakdown and justice will be done.”