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Entire staff at California bagel shop quits after manager fired

VACAVILLE, Calif. — Workers at a California bagel shop quit their jobs in protest after a beloved manager was fired, and a video on social media documenting the walkout has gone viral.

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A 10-second TikTok video has gathered millions of views as 16 workers walked off the job at Noah’s New York Bagels in Vacaville, KCRA-TV reported.

The video was recorded by Beonce Sarmiento, showing staff members quitting on Saturday, the television station reported.

“When the whole team pulls up on the same day to quit,” the video said.

“We all walked in at the same time, we dropped off our keys, we wrote a note saying that we quit,” former employee William Cox-Booth told KOVR-TV reported. “For us, it was when they said they could replace us. When you belittle someone to the point where they don’t want to work for you anymore, why would I want to spend eight hours of my day for a company that doesn’t appreciate me and what I bring to this company?”

“We’re not replaceable,” Sarmiento told KCRA. “We’re not disposable and you can’t just fire somebody and not let them know.”

The workers were protesting the firing of manager Bre Kowalski, the television station reported. Kowalski said she received a call from her district manager placing her on suspension. When she got home, she said she saw her final paycheck posted to her bank account, according to KCRA.

Kowalski said she was suspended due to a complaint and then fired without proper notification, The Sacramento Bee reported. Kowalski told KCRA that there was no customer complaint.

“I just wanted to know why I was terminated because no one said I was terminated,” Kowalski told the television station. “They said I was suspended. They had already fired me without telling me why I was fired.”

“We take the treatment of our team members very seriously and are looking into this matter,” Noah’s Bagels said in a statement to KCRA. “As an organization, we pride ourselves on providing a rewarding work experience for all our team members as we seek to provide the best possible experience for our guests.”

Kowalski called the actions of her former employees and the reaction to the video “unreal.” She added that she never asked the rest of the staff to quit in protest, according to The Bee.

“I love you all so much. This was absolutely not expected,” Kowalski told KOVR. “But I am so grateful for every one of their support and for having my back and for having each other’s backs, too.”

Positions for bakers, team members and team leaders are open on the Noah’s Bagels website, according to The Bee.