citymeetings.nyc

Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.

TESTIMONY

Gabriel Semanario, Former Starbucks Worker, on Termination Related to Fair Workweek Issues and Financial Struggles

1:14:24

·

97 sec

A former Starbucks employee testifies about being terminated after 3 years of employment in 2022 after raising fair workweek complaints. He was repeatedly scheduled outside his stated availability despite complaints, and was terminated in part for missing a shift he was improperly scheduled for. He filed a complaint over his termination that is still pending. After losing his job, he faced financial difficulties, including losing Starbucks insurance before becoming eligible and having to take a minimum wage job.

Gabriel Semanario

1:14:24

Hello, and good morning, Julie Menin.

1:14:26

My name is Gabriel Samanario.

1:14:28

I was a Starbucks partner for 4 year 3 years.

1:14:32

And unfortunately, last summer, I was terminated around September of 2023.

1:14:37

The issues I had raised in my fair work, we complained that I had filed, intersected directly with my termination.

1:14:43

My manager had repeatedly scheduled me out out of my availability, which I had filled out for him many times.

1:14:50

And one of the reasons my company gave me terminated me was related to the day I was scheduled out side of my availability, and I had filed a just clause complaint challenging my termination.

1:15:01

And, unfortunately, my complaint is still pending.

1:15:04

One of the other issues that I had was I had called in sick, and I did not have enough sick time, he told me that I was going to be written up as a result of that, so I came in while sick.

1:15:15

And I had put in a schedule change log.

1:15:17

I was ill while working, and he had also tried to penalize me for that as well.

1:15:22

After losing my job at Starbucks, my financial situation was precarious.

1:15:27

I had many bills that I was struggling to pay, and I had also just turned 26, so I was under my own insurance.

1:15:34

Through the government, and I had to pay out of pocket for that.

1:15:37

And I had been terminated right before Starbucks was gonna give me their insurance.

1:15:41

So I was struggling financially with that.

1:15:44

I did fortunately get a job.

1:15:46

Unfortunately, it was also minimum wage, so I was not making any way near as much as I was making it Starbucks.

1:15:52

But now I currently work at Whole Foods and making almost as much.

1:15:56

So, currently, my financial situation has almost stabilized itself.

← Previous Chapter

Peter Fugiel, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, on Enforcement Challenges of Fair Work Week Laws

Next Chapter →

Christopher Leon Johnson, Member of the Public, on the Rights and Protections for Fast Food Workers and Delivery Personnel

Is citymeetings.nyc useful to you?

I'm thrilled!

Please help me out by answering just one question.

What do you do?

Thank you!

Want to stay up to date? Sign up for the newsletter.