ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Employees of the North Perryville Starbucks walked out in an apparent strike Wednesday morning, protesting reduced hours at their workplace.

According to a post on the door of the business, located at 3001 N Perryville Road, the employees wrote “We are taking collective action in response to the company’s unlawful decision to unilaterally change the shift complement policy without negotiating with our union, in addition to numerous other unfair labor practices. This change in shift complement policy has resulted in drastic hours cuts for workers across all our union locations, which has prompted our union to file a nationwide ULP over the matter.”

The letter warned management about retaliation for them shutting the business for a day under the National Labor Relations Act. The employees collectively said they would conclude their strike at 9:30 p.m. and return to work tomorrow.

Nationally, Howard Schultz, the former interim CEO of Starbucks, announced he was stepping down as the head of the company, just days before he is expected to testify in front of a Senate committee examining the chain’s treatment of union organizing efforts.

The company has long been criticized by union organizers for it handling of efforts by workers to organize, which has brought scrutiny from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and other lawmakers.

Earlier this month a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled that Starbucks committed “egregious and widespread” violations of federal law in its campaign to halt unions. More than 280 Starbucks locations have voted to unionize in the U.S. since 2021, but the company has very publicly clashed with organizers in that time, firing 200 of them.