Beer Tree staffing issues? Employees quit over compensation & fired for speaking up

[guest11]

Beer Tree has some major issues.  My family was in business in Broome County for decades, we always took care of our employees.  If Beer Tree continues conducting business like this, they won't be around much longer.

https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/top-stories/beer-tree-staffing-crisis/

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!!COMMUNITY ACTION ALERT!!

My now FORMER place of employment, Downtown by Beer Tree Brew, posted this yesterday. It seems like just another "Day Off For Remodel" kind of thing, but it's not. There is a much worse reality to it!

The Kitchen, where I was a Prep/Line Cook/Baker is so terribly understaffed that they cant seem to keep the doors open like they were just a week or two ago. And you may be wondering why. Well, here's the reason:

A little over a month ago, it was told to the servers at a company meeting that they were covering the 3% service fee the credit card processor company charges on tips. This means they would be covering the cost of a service fee that they did not have any say in the contract agreement of. Now, is this illegal? No. In NY it is legal for employers to do this. But is it ethical? Is it necessary? Should it be the servers job to cover the cost of the businesses bottom line? Myself, and other employees, didn't think so.

This led to me confronting ownership over the 3% fee after the fact because I wasn't able to attend the company meeting due to being the only person working the line, and we all know without cooks there can be no food.... So I asked them why they thought it was necessary to put this cost on the employee and not, as many other businesses do, eat the loss themselves? They told me it was only fair that the employee pays it because it is their tip after all. And by the company allowing credit cards to be used they were opening the window for more business for the servers. So it was only fair.... I know. My eyes rolled back into my head too.

The 3% issue was not fully solved, but it seemed headway had been made and an avenue of real communication had been opened. I wasn't going to let the issue die but I also wanted to push it appropriately and in the most beneficial way possible for the workers.

Fast Forward a little over a week.....

It's a Tuesday afternoon, we are already short staffed and I find out that a co-worker did not receive the raise he was promised in his paycheck. He threatened to quit if he didn't get it and get the back pay. That threat pushed them to bend. Then, only a few hours later, our Kitchen Manager found out he also had not been receiving the proper wages/raise he had been promised back in June. It was already September. That was almost 3 months of improper pay. And I knew of another instance of a now former employee who also did not receive the proper raise he had been promised by management and ownership, and he had to threaten legal action just to get them to bend and give it to him, with back pay (I would learn of a 4th case after the fact). Needless to say, I was livid.

I clocked out of my shift and sent a long, wordy message to the ownership (which can be seen in the pictures). I had already warned them prior not to mess with my fellow employees and their pay. (Hell, this didn't even financially affect me. I was being paid correctly. But I knew if they could do it them, they could do it me, and I was in the process of seeking out a raise. Worker Unity is beyond important!) But now that they had disregarded a simple warning, and asked them not to treat me like an idiot, it was time to take it to the next level.

I explained to them that what they were doing was breaking basic labor law and we wouldn't stand for it. That maybe these kinds of actions were why we were already hemorrhaging employees. People weren't happy. Myself and many others had told them that. All they initially responded with was "We Here You?". Well, it seemed like they hadn't. And I let them know that. And that soon, if the ship wasn't righted, they were going to be without a Kitchen staff and unable to keep the place open ...

Well, the one owner called me up and immediately tried to play me as stupid. Asked "What's going on Kenny?" like he didn't know exactly what was happening. Well, that pissed me off more. So I told him directly on the phone to not fuck with me, not fuck with my co-workers and not fuck with employee pay. And I repeated that I knew that what they were doing was a labor law violation. I then hung up.

Not 5 minutes later I was removed from the company group chat/scheduling app and all my shifts were removed. I was seemingly fired. But they had not told me that directly yet. Hell, I didn't get an official "Termination Letter" until the next morning around 8:30 AM, when their accountant messaged me with it. I asked what the reason was. She couldn't give me one. Said they would get back to me. I stated that all official communication should now happen over that email address.

Fast forward to the next morning, Thursday. They emailed me back and stated the official reason was for "Inappropriate Behavior". Which I found funny, because I didn't realize complaining to your bosses about them breaking labor laws was considered "Inappropriate Behavior".

Well, now, here we are.

I will be standing in front of Downtown by Beer Tree Brew today (on the public sidewalk) from 11AM until ?, informing all confused and hungry customers the real reason why they are closed. And I have invited multiple local news organizations to come down. And I invite you to join in solidarity. Because the Restaurant Workers may not have a union in this area, but we don't need a union to begin to effect change. All we need is you, me, a few angry friends and some solid coverage.

I'm not calling for a boycott.

I loved working where I did.

I loved what I got to do everyday.

But I would not stand idly by while my co-workers got continually mistreated by ownership.

I want to see GOOD business thrive in this area.

Come help me hold these companies accountable and get them back on the right track to proper employee treatment!

SHARE THIS AND JOIN ME IN HOLDING LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE!

PS. Restaurant Week is next week. Who will cook your food if you there is no one to do it?

#WorkersRights #WorkerSolidarity #HoldTheLine

 

[2pelo Honey]

When I worked in local restaurants many moons ago, employees were fired for literally no reason.

Nowadays, they cry about everything.

[QueenB]

I have always thought that NYS hire & fire at will labor law is a huge contributor to the unemployment rates. Over 10 years ago, I was let go from a full time professional position, that I poured my heart into, for absolutely no reason whatsoever. I still to this day get compliments and told how amazing & thorough I was at performing my job. These companies don't care. All they care about is bringing the next batch of employees in, that are younger and less experienced, so they can lower their pay with no questions asked. 

[ginger]

On 9/19/2023 at 11:13 AM, QueenB said:

I have always thought that NYS hire & fire at will labor law is a huge contributor to the unemployment rates. Over 10 years ago, I was let go from a full time professional position, that I poured my heart into, for absolutely no reason whatsoever. I still to this day get compliments and told how amazing & thorough I was at performing my job. These companies don't care. All they care about is bringing the next batch of employees in, that are younger and less experienced, so they can lower their pay with no questions asked. 

I've found throughout the years, the corporate culture of greater Binghamton businesses to be marginal at best. Almost always sketchy.