Two days after Starbucks chairman and former CEO Howard Schultz faced intense questioning during a Senate committee hearing regarding the company’s response to union organizing at its stores, Starbucks terminated three union organizers and disciplined another in the Buffalo, New York, area, where the union campaign originated.
Among those dismissed was Lexi Rizzo, a shift supervisor who had worked for seven years at one of the first stores to unionize in Buffalo and was a key founder of the union campaign. The union has described these actions as retaliatory.
Rizzo, who was terminated on Friday, March 31, recounted that her store manager was in tears during the termination, expressing regret over having to fire her despite knowing how much she cared about her job.
“I put everything I have into my store,” Rizzo said. “It’s honestly, so far in my life, one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve had happen. Anyone that I work with, any of my partners would attest to how much I love and care for my store.”
Rizzo had been part of the organizing committee since the campaign’s inception in August 2021. Starbucks has denied that the store manager cried during Rizzo’s termination.
The reason given for Rizzo’s termination was tardiness, with the most recent instance cited being from two months ago.
Previous disciplinary actions against her were referenced in a comprehensive administrative law judge decision issued in March 2023, which addressed firings, retaliation, and disciplinary issues involving Starbucks workers in the Buffalo area.
Starbucks pointed out that one instance of tardiness was upheld in the judge’s decision.
“They cited two instances when I was one minute late to work. Another time, I was four minutes late to work, and another time, I was five minutes late to work,” Rizzo explained.
“The one-minute delay can be due to the iPads we use to clock in, which take a long time to load. For those, it’s absurd to me. For the other instances, I had called the store to let them know I was running late due to weather,” Rizzo argued.
Starbucks contends there were several more significant tardiness infractions.
During a contentious Senate hearing last week, Senator Bernie Sanders accused Starbucks of conducting “the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign in the modern history of our country.” Schultz dismissed these allegations as “unfounded” and stated, “Starbucks has not broken the law.”
Starbucks Workers United has reported that more than 200 employees at Starbucks stores involved in union organizing campaigns have been terminated throughout the campaign.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) or judges have ordered the reinstatement of 22 Starbucks employees so far, although not all orders have been enforced. Administrative law judges have found violations of the National Labor Relations Act in eight cases against Starbucks.
Starbucks has contested all court and board rulings against them and rejected all accusations of retaliation against workers for unionizing.
To date, approximately 300 Starbucks stores across the US have won union elections, with numerous unfair labor practice charges filed with the NLRB still under review and adjudication.
Gianna Reeve, another union leader in Buffalo, received a disciplinary write-up shortly after learning about Rizzo’s firing. Two other workers involved with the union in Buffalo were also reportedly dismissed late last week.
“I kind of knew something was going to happen before I even clocked in. I woke up for my shift and saw a text from Lexi Rizzo saying she had just been fired, which made my heart sink because Lexi was the first of us. She’s the reason why Starbucks Workers United exists,” said Reeve.
When Reeve arrived at work, a manager she had never seen before was present with her store manager to issue her a disciplinary write-up. “My crime is putting the blinds down at sunset,” Reeve said.
“It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. This happened two days after Howard Schultz testified in the Senate. It feels like the most vindictive action Starbucks could have taken.
We continually try to extend an olive branch, but Starbucks persists in its aggressive stance.” Starbucks did not provide specific comments on the details of Reeve’s write-up.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched to support Lexi Rizzo, and her co-workers staged a strike at her store over the weekend in protest of her dismissal.
Rizzo explained that the termination came at a challenging time, as her partner was out of work recovering from a serious bike accident.
She is filing an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB regarding her firing. Starbucks has denied that the termination was retaliatory, citing attendance issues.
“I will fight tooth and nail to get my job back,” Rizzo stated. “I love my store, my partners, and this company. Despite everything, I still truly believe that this company could be a wonderful place to work again.”
A Starbucks spokesperson said in an email: “Our policies are designed to maintain a welcoming environment for all partners and customers, and interest in a union does not exempt partners from adhering to the policies and procedures that apply to everyone.
Terminations follow clear policy violations, and in this case, the partner had been subject to progressive discipline for missing over four hours of work on six occasions.
We appreciate that our Genesee Street partners continued to deliver the Starbucks Experience to each other and our customers on Saturday morning, and that all area stores remain operational without interruption.”
