Rochester Labor Council spread message: “Organize and rise”

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — Throughout the nation, unions have become increasingly popular. Monday, the Rochester Labor Council chose the theme “organize and rise” to get millions of new workers into unions.

On the steps of the NYSUT building this morning, labor leaders, politicians, and workers joined to spread the message.

One of whom was from the recently unionized Starbucks shops in Pittsford.

“People should have job security. People shouldn’t be scared of losing their benefits because we decide we want better for ourselves and because our manager decides to cut our hours, or put us on leaves of absence, or shut down the store, or reorganize the entire thing, or pull the supervisor off the floor while we’re already short-staffed and not let us help anyone. Make me watch my coworkers get yelled at by people, make me watch other people get abused, make me take abuse from customers and not be able to stick up for myself. You know, that’s not what it’s about,” said Hailey Fagan, Shft Supervisor, Starbucks Pittsford.