PLOVER, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – A former Starbucks employee says he was fired in April for organizing the store’s recent vote to unionize.
Kolton Gosnell worked as a shift supervisor at Starbucks in Plover since August of 2021. Gosnell said seeing other Starbucks in the United States filling and winning union elections inspired him and others to push for a union at their location.
“We saw what was happening in Buffalo, New York as they were organizing stores for their unions and having the right to bargain a contract,” Gosnell said.
Starbucks workers in Plover voted 7-5 in favor of unionization.
“We just see how workers get treated by customers and management,” Gosnell said. “We definitely need unions in the service industry to help workers have better working conditions rights and pay.”
In the separation of employment document Starbucks says Gosnell’s termination was due to being behind the counter and backroom while not working, in the store after closing, and performing work tasks while not punched in. Gosnell said he was unfairly singled out.
“The offense that Kolton was terminated for happened approximately a month earlier,” International Vice President of Workers United, Kathy Hanshew said. “…It wasn’t until after they filed and won their union election that he was terminated.”
A Starbucks district manager did not return a call for comment. There was a rally in support of Gosnell in Plover earlier this month.
