Photo: Spot Coffee
[P]hilip Kneitinger and Phoenix Cerny, two former employees of Spot Coffee in Buffalo, New York, allege that they were fired from the local chain for trying to unionize. Additionally, former manager Lukas Weinstein claims he was fired last month for not providing the names of employees who attended a union meeting to Spot.
The former employees also have the full support of the New York State American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations behind them.
“We oppose any hint of anti-union intimidation,” Dick Lipsitz, president of the Western New York Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, told WIVB News. “The only answer to such activity is to organize a vigorous struggle for the right to form the union.”
Charges have officially been filed with the National Labor Relations board.
Spot Coffee released a statement on its Facebook page regarding the allegations: “The matter concerning the discharge of three Spot Coffee employees is now formally before the National Labor Relations Board. Consequently, the company believes it is not appropriate to make any further comments on these proceedings.
“As stated in the company’s earlier media release, Spot Coffee denies the allegations. The three employees, two of whom were part time, were discharged for lawful business reasons. The entire Spot Coffee team greatly appreciates the support it has received from many of our customers during this difficult time.”
