Workers at Marysville Starbucks go on strike over lack of staffing, working conditions

MARYSVILLE, Wash. — Employees at a Starbucks in Marysville are on strike, citing what they say have been unfair working conditions and a lack of adequate staffing.

Strike organizer Kaitlyn McCoy described she’s been typically working double shifts “because of being severely understaffed.” She says that the last straw came when there was no one available to cover for a sick employee, leaving only two people to work a shift, one of whom was nearly nine months pregnant.

“I could not handle that anymore, and so me and my coworker Lincoln said no, we closed the the store, we cleaned it, and we walked out,” McCoy told KIRO Newsradio.

“We didn’t have enough coverage because they don’t schedule enough coverage,” she added. “Corporate’s been cutting hours nationwide.”

Workers and supporters walked picket lines on Sunday, joined in solidarity by Starbucks employees from locations in Everett and Seattle, in addition to Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant. Their demands include cost-of-living wages, full-time hours, health care coverage, and increased staffing.

McCoy also says that they’ve been circulating petitions to “reinstate some employees that were wrongfully terminated,” while workers at the Marysville store have begun signing union cards.

In late March, a Seattle Starbucks became the region’s first location to vote in favor of unionizing, with at least four others looking to follow suit.

“We want this to be much more than just our one store,” McCoy noted. “We’re hoping this inspires other stores to start speaking up.”

This story was originally published by MyNorthwest.

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