Caribou Coffee employees to rally for improved working conditions amid pandemic

Employees for Caribou Coffee are planning to rally for the second time in a month to demand changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Workers are planning to stage a rally from their cars at 1 p.m. Monday in front of the company's offices in Brooklyn Center. They're seeking hazard pay, increased personal protective equipment in stores and a comprehensive sick leave policy, according to a news release.

Caribou employees are asking for a $3 per hour raise through September. In late April, the company implemented a 10% raise for store employees through May.

A few weeks ago, workers staged a caravan-style protest outside a Caribou Coffee store in Roseville. 

In addition to the 10% wage increase, the company said it had installed sneeze guards at every counter, was requiring pre-shift wellness checks for employees and ordered reusable face masks for all team members.

Customers will not be able to sit at tables in Minnesota coffee shops until June at the earliest under Gov. Tim Walz's "Stay Safe MN" order.