Minnesota Caribou Coffee workers hold car rally to protest working conditions during pandemic

ROSEVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Caribou Coffee workers in the Twin Cities held a car rally Monday to protest working conditions at the Minnesota-based coffee chain during the pandemic.

Monday morning, workers gathered in vehicles outside a Caribou location in Roseville.

According to a spokesperson for the Restaurant Opportunities Center of Minnesota, workers are upset with resources available to protect employees.

They want Caribou Coffee to make more protective gear, like gloves and masks, available in the workplace. They also want sick leave to be offered for workers and believe those who do show up deserve hazard pay.

Many Caribou Coffee locations have remained open during the Minnesota stay-at-home order for takeout orders.

In a statement, Caribou Coffee officials said they have taken steps to protect workers since the start of the pandemic. They say protective gear has been made available and they are working to send out more shipments of gear. All Caribou Coffee locations are expected to receive company-provided face masks by next week. Social distancing policies have also been put into place.

At the same time, they are also offering additional support to essential workers, including a 10 percent pay increase for workers in May.

"Since the onset of COVID-19, the safety and livelihood of our team members has been our number one priority," Caribou Coffee said in a statement. "We have closely followed and are implementing fact-based guidance and mandates from both national and local health authorities to protect our team members, and are also supporting our employees through many work support initiatives including a 10 percent pay increase in May." 

For some workers, paid time off, unpaid leave, medical leave, emergency pay, and other benefits are available.