Salt Lake’s oldest and tallest LGBTQ+ runnas are closing, with workers claiming the shuttering was a “stunt” to prevent unionization.
The Suntrap, widely considered Utah’s oldest LGBTQ+ Bar was established in 1973 and is one of the few safe havens for the community. It closed on 31 October after the workers were forced to unionize.
Workers who spoke to the Guardian confronted the bar’s owner who engaged in several practices of unfairly handing over workers to Communications America Local.
In a republican dominated state in rank As one of the least safe states in the US for the LGBTQ+ Community, the workers called the bar “a real place” and a safe haven for the community. The bar security needs to be increased After Charlie Kirk’s murder that occurred in Utah last September raised concerns of threats to the community.
“It’s a really special place where you can go and be free of judgment,” Natalie Jankowski, a lead bartender at Suntripp, told the Guardian. “We’re a lot older
Jankowski explained that he had worked at the bar during previous closings under different owners, and saw that the staff’s concerns were not being heard.
“I saw them with mistakes here and there, not ready to hear the Queer staff they used to try and bring the bar. “The staff has very good reason to believe that this is a stunt. I also don’t think it’s fair to tell a group of young queer people who have been part of this community longer than the owner to just leave and get a new job if we don’t like it.”
Morgan Sturgill, another bartender at Suntray, explained the unionization drive from the Close-Knt Communets of the Bar and the desire to have a voice in policy implementations and accountability for management.
“We all really care about this, and just want this to be a place where everyone has a voice to change policy, to have a say in how things are run,” said Sturgill. “The owner refuses to tell us to us at all and have any kind of conversation about it, and simply refuses to recognize that the demands that we set are completely.”
Belstazar Valenzuela, who works as a barback, bartender and bar security, found that “We were all customers before we started working there.”
“We’re asking for accountability for the most part. That’s the biggest thing, is accountability,” Valenzuela said. “I feel like a good faith conversation can solve this in like 10 minutes.”
The owner, Mary Peterson, fired Many of the workers after they tried to unite, then changed. she SAYS In a video post on social media he had to hire them before he found out it was illegal to fire them for the merger.
He too MANILA the bar, which employs two dozen workers, is little “to integrate, although there is there is no legal exception workers of workers of small owners from integration.
“I fired them because I felt they were a threat to the business. I thought they were following me saying, you know this is what’s happening now,” Peterson said.
The workers started the owner then started ENFORCEMENT The new policies they said were designed by entrap workers to justify the firing, such as changing the drink menu and strict enforcement of late policies. They began an unfair labor strike in early October after a security support and bar union supporter the fired. The union has called At the bar to restore the palaces and their policies implemented after the union, and allow a fair union election to continue.
“He started handing people final warnings, final written warnings for things they hadn’t even come close to. He started claiming some policies that were meant to trap us,” Jankowski added.
Due to the government shutdown, the National Labor Relations Board website fell, stopped the formal election process of the union and the filing and processing of the unfair practice of ethical practice.
The Union THINK In closing a few weeks ago, it was labeled as a common unity-busting tactic.
After 31 October, the bar Office has partnered Its closure, claiming that “the financial impact of the constant protests” caused the closure, and found a “way forward” for the bar remains unclear.
“I personally feel that the pseudo closure of the trap, a way to scare Monger is already a marginalized community that is in trouble and the social media marker and planner of Social Awer. “We live in a world where it feels more unsafe, especially now, in this political climate, and we feel more available.”
Peterson and Sunttrapp did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Guardian.