Three Spot Coffee employees in Buffalo allege they were fired after engaging in union activities.

Spot Coffee employees in Rochester voted to unionize in late May. Management was favorable and cooperative.

Three former employees of Spot Coffee locations in Buffalo allege they were fired because they were looking into unionization for the regional coffee chain’s workforce.

After employees at Spot Coffee’s lone Rochester location on East Avenue voted to unionize in late May, word spread to workers at the Buffalo-area stores. The chain, headquartered in both Buffalo and Toronto, operates 13 locations in and around Buffalo, plus five licensed cafes (counters on college campuses or inside other businesses.)

In the weeks following that event, Buffalo-area Spot employees Phil Kneitinger, Phoenix Cerny and store manager Lukas Weinstein spoke with either Rochester Spot employee Cory Johnson, who helped organize the Rochester union, or a representative of the Rochester Regional Joint Board of Workers United to gather more information.

“Hearing of a union happening, period … like Rochester (the Spot location) actually did it … that was really cool, and I wanted to understand how that worked,” said Cerny, 25, who had been working at Spot in Buffalo for 4½ years.

Unionizing in Rochester:Spot Coffee employees vote to form union

Soon Dan Hensley, Spot’s chief operating officer, started inquiring about the meeting, said Weinstein, 28, who managed the Spot location on Main Street in Williamsville, Erie County. First he asked Weinstein for general information, then for specific names of those who were present, said Weinstein. He said he told Hensley he didn’t know anything.

Days later, on June 23, Weinstein was let go by Hensley at the start of his Sunday morning shift. The only reason given was that “we were going in a different direction,” said Weinstein. On June 25, Cerny and Kneitinger, who work at different locations, were let go via calls from store managers, who said they were told to do so by upper management, said Kneitinger.

Spot Coffee’s CEO Anton Ayoub sent the Democrat and Chronicle the following statement, which was originally issued on July 4.

“Recent allegations in media suggest that three SPoT Coffee employees were discharged for improper reasons. SPoT adamantly denies these claims. While our Company does not publicly discuss its personnel decisions, all of SPoT Coffee’s personnel actions — including the recent employment terminations discussed in the media — are taken for lawful business reasons. Our employee team is, and always has been, a critical aspect of our business. For this reason, SPoT considers the recent media allegations to be a very serious matter. SPoT Coffee is fully prepared to defend its business decisions before the National Labor Relations Board.”

Since the charges are now submitted to the board, the company will not comment on the NLRB proceedings, according to a second company statement issued Friday.

“There’s no doubt in my mind” that the terminations were related to union activities, said Gary Bonadonna Jr. of the Rochester Regional Joint Board of Workers United. “I don’t believe in coincidence. They were fired within minutes of each other, while asking about how to form a union.”

Letting employees go in response to their union activities is illegal under federal law, and Cerny and Kneitinger filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday, alleging unfair termination. They are seeking reinstatement at their jobs with back pay, an apology from the management and an agreement on fair process during union organization with company interference, according to a statement released on the unionizing workers' Instagram, @UnionizedSpot.

Spot employees in Buffalo also picketed at the Williamsville location on Wednesday, with two goals — “We wanted to raise awareness, and let our regular customers know what’s happening,” said Kneitinger, 34.

The about-face response from Spot Management, which responded favorably to the Rochester shop’s union activities, is jarring but not unheard of, said Bonadonna.

“They are polar opposite reactions,” he said. “But whatever their reaction may be, we will fiercely defend the rights of workers to organize a union free of fear and intimidation.”

Meanwhile, other Buffalo Spot workers have been split on their reactions to the recent turnover, with some expressing fear and others determination to keep moving forward, said Cerny. They’ve also felt the support of the outside community, which has been “incredibly encouraging,” said Kneitinger.

The three workers said they weren’t shocked that their terminations came in the midst of unionization activities. But they hope the sentiments behind those activities — namely to improve working conditions at the coffee shops — are enough to bring everyone back to the table, including management, said Cerny.

None of them have heard anything from upper management since they were let go.

“We as the workers who were terminated, and we all as workers at Spot Coffee just simply want respect, and for Spot to come to the table and start having a cooperative relationship with its workers, instead of an antagonistic one,” said Cerny.

STADDEO@Gannett.com