Unionizing LI Starbucks Workers Seek Help To Beat Union Busting

MASSAPEQUA, NY — Workers at a Massapequa Starbucks that are trying to unionize have launched a fundraiser to help employees that they say are the target of union-busting efforts by the corporation.

Employees at the Massapequa Village Square Starbucks, located at 4301 Merrick Road, announced their intention to unionize in February. It was the second location on Long Island to make the decision. There are now more than 170 Starbucks across the country that are trying to unionize.

Many workers say they have been met with retaliation from the corporation. At the Massapequa location, workers claim they are having their hours slashed, which is significantly reducing the amount of money they take home in their paychecks.

"Partners who previously worked about 27 hours per week are now scheduled for 11 hours," wrote Karleigh Paldino, who launched the GoFundMe fundraiser. "Starbucks cut their hours during a time of inflation in which many are struggling financially in general."

The GoFundMe is seeking to raise $2,500, which it says will be offered to every shift supervisor and barista at the store. They will have the option to opt in or out, based on their needs and the hours they have been cut. All of the money will go to the Massapequa Village Square Starbucks employees.

In an open letter published in February announcing their plans to unionize, one of the things the employees at the store took aim at was their wages. Wages remained unchanged during the pandemic for many workers. Last year, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson took home a $7 million raise, they claim, while they received nothing.

"We did the math," they wrote. "It would take the average Starbucks barista 826 years of work with the company to earn your 2021 salary alone. The price of a coffee from Starbucks continues to rise, while partner wages remain the same."

Twenty-six employees from the store, including shift supervisors and baristas, signed the letter to Johnson announcing the plans to try to unionize.

"The baristas and shift supervisors at Massapequa Village Square Starbucks were there for our community throughout hardship and lockdowns of COVID," Paldino wrote on the GoFundMe page. "Now is our chance to show them that we are here to support them during their time of need."

You can donate to the Starbucks employees by clicking here.