STARBUCKS workers in US city of Buffalo walked out today, accusing the global coffee chain of putting “profit over people” as they urged bosses to close stores affected by coronavirus outbreaks.

They shut down the Elmwood branch in New York state’s second-largest city due to understaffing and health concerns, Starbucks Workers United said.

The union accused Starbucks bosses of putting pressure on staff to continue working despite unsafe conditions, with a number of “partners” – company jargon for workers – off after testing positive for coronavirus.

“We believe everyone deserves the right to feel safe at work. Partners will return when it’s safe to do so,” a statement said.

“Our country is experiencing its highest ever seven-day average of new Covid cases and one of the reasons we wanted to form a union was to be able to advocate for our health and safety.”

The Elmwood branch became the first in the US to unionise in December despite a campaign of intimidation by Starbucks bosses, who spent millions of dollars in an effort to stop workers from organising.

Their campaign was triggered in September, when workers wrote an open letter to Starbucks chief executive Kevin Johnson demanding “a voice on the job” and citing a chaotic work environment, erratic hours and difficulty in taking sick leave during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“With a third of the Elmwood store out due to Covid concerns, the store is drastically understaffed, leaving the remaining partners exhausted and overworked,” the union said.

“When the company’s anti-union campaign was in full force, there were dozens of support partners [managers] here. Now that we need the extra staff, the support partners are gone.”

The union called on bosses to close the branch to protect workers and enforce a local mask-wearing rule where branches are open, as well as providing “hazard pay” and Covid test expenses.

A Starbucks spokesperson said: “Throughout the pandemic we have met and exceeded the latest direction from the CDC, health experts, and the federal government, and we’ve supported partners with vaccine pay, sick days, and isolation-pay.

“Over and above that, all leaders are empowered to make any changes that make sense for their neighbourhood, which includes shortening store hours or moving to 100 per cent take-out only, which is the case in Buffalo.”