13-year Starbucks employee says he was fired for being a union leader
AMHERST, N.Y. (WUTV) — A 13-year Starbucks employee in Erie County was let go by the company on Friday for violating store policies.
But he says he didn’t break any rules, and alleges he was let go because he’s a union leader. The store at the corner of Sheridan Drive and Bailey Avenue in Amherst voted to unionize in March 2022.
On Friday afternoon, the store closed after all of the employees working walked out after shift supervisor Sam Amato was fired.
This TikTok video capturing the action has been viewed more than 2.5 million times.
It’s really disheartening to have my life – this was my life – pulled out from under me,” said Amato.
In a statement to Fox Buffalo, Starbucks alleges Amato violated store policy violations. A spokesperson says he closed the store lobby without permission. His termination papers reference conversations about his performance in May.
But Amato says none of that is true.
“That just did not happen,” he said.
“They made up those claims.”
The store on Sheridan and Bailey is one of several stores in the Buffalo area that became some of the first in the nation to unionize earlier this year, starting a wave of unionization efforts across the country.
Union leaders cite poor working conditions including not enough staff, as reasons why they joined the Workers United Union. They also claim Starbucks has intentionally taken actions to intimidate union workers, saying as many as 75 union employees have been fired since the efforts to unionize began.
Amato believes the true reason for his separation is due to his outspokenness as a union leader.
“Ten days before the date of my separation notice, I did a video interview with More Perfect Union about the shortcomings of Starbucks healthcare,” he said.
“I filed an ethics complaint against my store manager for violating company policy.”
Tati Gurskiy, who led the walkout on Friday, says the store has lost more than 65 percent of its staff since the pandemic began.
She says 15 out of 17 of the store’s employees joined in on the strike, in addition to filing an unfair labor practice against Starbucks on Amato’s behalf.
“This situation was really just the last straw for us, collectively as a team,” said Gurskiy.
“I think we’ve never been more on the same page as we are right now.”
The store has been closed since Friday’s walkout. A Starbucks spokesperson says they don’t have a plan in place to reopen it at this time.
