'We cannot support ourselves': Workers walk out of Rochester Hot Topic to protest wages
Workers at the Rochester Hot Topic walked out of the store this past week to protest what they described as low wages and poor workplace conditions.
A note left outside of the Apache Mall location read, in part: “Almost all of our staff [walked] out due to the inability of the Hot Topic company to support and give a living wage. We cannot support ourselves and our families. We have worked so hard and cannot do this any longer.”
A photo of the note was posted on social media and quickly went viral. One post on Facebook was shared more than 10,000 times; another on Twitter was liked by more than 300,000 users.
The walkout took place amid a worker shortage across the U.S. that is having a significant impact on the hospitality and retail industries — with more workers calling it quits or demanding higher pay and other benefits.
In a statement released to ABC 6 News, current and former employees of the Rochester Hot Topic said the pandemic opened their eyes to “how clearly horrible the conditions” were for staff.
“For those struggling to get food on the table and working yourself to the bone to be able to have a home to come back to, now is our chance to fight for the respect and the right to a living wage,” a group of current and former Hot Topic employees said in a joint statement.
Hot Topic, which sells pop culture clothing and accessories, has about 700 stores across the country. The company has not responded to media inquiries. The Rochester store has, however, since put up a new sign that reads: "Temporarily Closed. We apologize for the inconvenience."
