Starbucks workers in Farmingville strike over union organizer's firing
A former Farmingville Starbucks worker who was fired in June said management used trumped up charges to terminate him over his union organizing, resulting in a one-day strike at the store Monday.
Brendan Lopez, 23, a Medford resident and former shift supervisor at the Starbucks at 2280 N. Ocean Ave., said he was unfairly fired after a company investigation failed to find proof of an allegation by management that he had taken $20 from the store register.
The striking workers are members of the Workers United New York New Jersey Regional Board, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union. They were joined on the picket line Monday by supporters, including representatives of Long Island Jobs with Justice, the Long Island Progressive Coalition, RWDSU 338, and David Calone, the Democratic candidate for Suffolk County executive.