Starbucks baristas, labor allies rally at Philadelphia City Hall

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Baristas and labor allies rallied outside of Philadelpia's City Hall on Saturday.

They launched the 'Kick Starbucks Off City Hall' campaign to counter what they have dubbed Starbucks' "union-busting campaign."

Starbucks Workers United called on council members to support a change in vendor from Starbucks to a local, union coffee vendor.

The city's labor department has been investigating the global coffee chain for allegedly being a repeat offender of Philadelphia Fair Work Week scheduling ordinances.

"Fair Work Week laws in Philadelphia were such a revolutionary law to be passed here in the city to give rights to workers to have regular schedules and compensation for unexpected hour changes," wrote Lydia Ferandez, a Starbucks worker in Philadelphia.

"The fact that Starbucks has been a top violator of that law, that there is an active investigation against them with the city's Department of Labor is a big deal," Ferandez continued in a press release.

This action comes a week after baristas at the Starbucks Penn Medicine store addressed their district manager over wage theft and fair workweek violations, officials with Starbucks Workers United said in a press release.

Union workers are mainly arguing for a fair work environment, to earn a living wage, guaranteed hours, and consistent scheduling.

In response to the rally, a spokesperson with Starbucks released the following statement:

Workers United should demonstrate the same commitment to bargaining as they do to rallies, and now a multi-city bus tour. Even though we have attempted to schedule bargaining for hundreds of stores, Workers United has only met Starbucks at the table to progress negotiations for 10 stores.

Partners voted for bargaining not buses. Perhaps that's why partners at a dozen stores across the U.S. have already filed petitions to decertify Workers United as their bargaining representative.

Starbucks officials claim the union has not made an effort to bargain for a handful of stores they represent in Pennsylvania.

Due to this, the coffee chain says it filed an unfair labor practice charge against Workers United for failure to respond to bargaining attempts.

Officials also noted that they remain ready to progress in-person negotiations so that they may better understand the union's demands.