Workers United Upstate New York

05/16/2025

03/05/2025

🚨 AKG is retaliating against union workers! 🚨

After we won our union and ratified our first contract in December, we believed this would mark the start of a collaborative relationship with museum leadership—one where both workers and the museum could thrive together. Instead, AKG has slashed over 60% of the largest unionized department, laying off 13 Visitor Experience Associates (VEX) in addition to the 15 who were already lost. This is on top of ongoing retaliation against union members, including punishing workers for speaking out and unjustly disciplining workers.

These layoffs were announced just after AKG posted job openings for 11 new NON-union security guards. This is not a coincidence—it is a blatant act of retaliation against workers who fought for fair wages, protections, and a voice on the job.

At a time when workers’ rights are under attack nationwide, it is appalling to see AKG take a page from Elon Musk’s playbook—undermining its own employees and our hard-won rights. A world-class institution should lead with integrity, not hostility toward its workers.

Buffalo is a union city. We do not accept this kind of behavior in our community.

We are calling on our supporters to take action:
✊ Demand that AKG end their retaliation against union workers.
✊ Tell AKG to reverse these unjust layoffs and rehire VEX staff.
✊ Urge AKG to work with the union, not against it.

Workers fought for and won their union, and we will not be silenced. We need your voice! Share this post, speak out, and stand with us.

02/05/2025

Welcome to our first Shop Spotlight where we share news and updates about our union shops! First up is GreenStar Co-Op. GreenStar is a consumer co-op with multiple locations in Ithaca, NY. Workers originally won their union election this past August and are now in the midst of negotiating a first contract.

10/11/2024

We have been working with these workers at the Hyatt Regency in Buffalo. The owner is Douglas Jemal of Douglas Development who have lots of commercial holdings in D.C. and Buffalo. Ironic that the Starbucks workers inside the hotel (employees of the operator not Starbucks) have almost all been fired or forced out in the city where we began the Starbucks campaign 3 years ago.

On September 25th, two of our coworkers were fired: Bailey Nell… Luke Sills needs your support for Help 2 pro-union workers fired by the Hyatt Regency Buffalo

06/10/2024

Join us as labor journalist Hamilton Nolan discusses his new book "The Hammer: Power, Inequality, and the Struggle for the Soul of Labor." Unions are the strongest tool that exists to fix inequality, America's most important problem. Yet union power in America has been on the decline for 50 years. Why? And how can we seize our current moment of opportunity to turn around that decline?

Nolan will be in conversation with veteran union organizer Richard Bensinger, of Starbucks Workers United, to talk about how to rebuild the labor movement for the next generation

11/01/2023

If you can, please support the husband of one of our members who works at C-P Flexible Packaging in Buffalo, NY. Howard was diagnosed with ALS and his family is hoping to buy a bed (not covered by insurance) to keep him comfortable.

Hi, my name is MacKenzie and I am fundraising for Howard. Howard is my dad. He is a kindhearted per… MacKenzie Calkins needs your support for HELP FOR HOWARD

04/03/2023

This past Sunday, one of our union members tragically passed away. Chris Felong worked for International Paper and was a member of Local 14B of the Rochester Regional Joint Board. Chris got into a horrific workplace accident last week during his overnight shift. He had been in the hospital since then and never recovered.

You can support Chris' family here:

Hi my name is Alesha, My dear friend Chris has passed away on Sunday March 26th! Several people have… Alesha Hemmer needs your support for Christopher Felong

03/10/2022

And the votes are in! Three additional Starbucks stores in Buffalo voted to join our union yesterday. We welcome our newest members from Sheridan & Bailey, Transit & French, and Walden & Anderson. We have your backs and are so proud of you.

03/10/2022

The Heart Walk in in June is coming up quickly, and we need your help! Use this link to support our American Heart Association fundraising page.

The Heart Walk is the American Heart Association's premiere event for raising funds to save lives from USA's #1 and #5 killers - heart disease and stroke.

01/22/2022

"Who would do this during the COVID?" Laughlin said. "We've gone through COVID. We've gone through delta. We've gone through the omicron. This is worse."

Laughlin was told his health insurance reimbursement is ending March 1.

Laughlin worked for xerox for 35 years. The reimbursement was a benefit he agreed to when he retired eight years ago.

Gary Bonadonna, Workers United Rochester Regional Joint Board: "There's older folks in their 80s and 90s who were promised, they have a very good wrap-around plan with Medicare. That's being eliminated."

Xerox is eliminating health benefits to thousands of retirees who worked in Rochester.

01/19/2022

"In terms of reversing decades of union decline, winning at 1000 Starbucks stores would be meaningless — now representing just over 6 percent of private sector workers, U.S. unions cannot simply “organize” themselves out of this deep hole — but in terms of creating momentum and generating a sense of excitement, winning 100 elections would be the biggest thing to happen to the labor movement for decades."

2022 might just be the year we see the beginnings of a new American labor movement.

01/19/2022

You asked and we delivered… launching the official SBWorkersUnited merch shop! All proceeds directly support SBWorkersUnited partners. Merch is proudly 100% made in the USA and decorated by union workers! Link in bio. https://store.sbworkersunited.org