San Jose Burger King Employees Strike in Support of Coworker Denied Leave During Ectopic Pregnancy

Yesterday employees of a Burger King located on Story Road and South White Road in San Jose held a strike and rally in support of their coworker, Laura Reyes. Laura Reyes claims she was denied leave while at work when suffering from severe pain, leading to devastating personal consequences, sparking a conversation on workers' rights and employer responsibility according to KTVU Fox.

 

BREAKING: @BurgerKing workers in San Jose are on strike after one worker was forced to work through pregnancy complications, and miscarried her pregnancy.

After returning to work, her hours have been cut to the point she made only $800/month.

This is a disgrace. pic.twitter.com/tZIEVc6XiO

— Fight For 15 Nor Cal (@NorCalFF15) June 17, 2023

 

Reyes recounted her experience during the protest, stating that she started feeling pain and bleeding in early April while on duty at Burger King. Feeling that something was gravely wrong, Reyes requested her manager allow her to leave early. Reyes alleges that her manager denied her plea, insisting that she couldn't leave until her fellow coworkers took their breaks. She said in her speech, "I told her that I was bleeding very bad and I wasn't sure if I was pregnant, but inside me, I felt that it was something very wrong. We work more than a hamburger, and I couldn't die that day, so I don't want anyone to go through the same thing."

Tragically, Reyes later suffered a miscarriage and found out that she had experienced a potentially dangerous ectopic pregnancy. Reyes has since filed a complaint with the Cal OSHA. KTVU Fox reached out to Burger King for their response on the matter, but it remains unclear if they have issued a statement at this time.

As workers gathered outside of the San Jose Burger King, their strike demonstrated not only their support for Reyes but also raised an alarm for workers' rights and the responsibility of employers to prioritize their employees' health and safety. Despite the context of fast food chains being notorious for high-pressure environments and limited employer empathy, incidents such as Reyes' serve as a poignant reminder that workers' rights and safety must be prioritized.