Hello,

I am a barista in Georgetown for a certain well-known coffee chain, which I will avoid naming to avoid legal issues. Workers have been experiencing issues regarding pay, staffing, scheduling, and high turnover. We come each day hesitant, and leave battered and exhausted by the sheer number of sales and customers we deal with.

This year, we unionized our store and have taken several actions, including our first store walkout last week. Since then, we have received action on some of our demands - Namely, the completion of our weekly tip payout, and communication for a months-long safety issue with our flooring.

Our district manager informed us yesterday that our store will be closed for 2 weeks to complete the repair of a long-neglected and unsafe working condition with our floor. Despite this, he was also unable to answer the #1 question everyone had:

What will happen to our hours and pay for those 2 weeks?

Our workers are anticipating walking out again, and demanding further answers from management on why we are expected to continue working in unsafe conditions until repairs are completed, if we will be compensated, and how we will maintain our hours without disrupting the schedule at another store.

We have partners who are aged 50+ who have serious concerns about taking a slip and fall, resulting in injury before the repairs happen. this remains an issue right now.

Donations are humbly requested for partners who are in dire financial need, and will be distributed to employees who have lost hours due to striking or store closure.

Any amount helps, and thank you for your time.