AUSTIN, Texas — Workers walked out of the Pavement thrift store on Wednesday Nov. 15 to protest low wages, lack of health benefits and security in their work environment. Employees stood in front of the store for nine hours, demanding a liveable wage amid the high cost of living in Austin, stating that “Pavement don’t pay rent.”

“Our store is the breadwinner of all the stores. We’re trying to figure out what’s beneficial for everybody,” store manager Carol Velasquez said. “I hear from the staff. Once they get their first paycheck, it’s all on rent. Then they don’t have any money for food and gas.”

Pavement’s workers in Houston went on strike just days before the Austin staff did. Houston employees sent a list of demands to their general manager on Saturday, Nov. 11 and walked out the following day, before meeting with the HR counsel. The staff agreed to meet with management on Tuesday Nov. 14, when they came to an agreement and returned to work the next day.

Austin employees heard about the protest in Houston and followed suit. On Wednesday at 9 a.m., they gathered in front of the store to prepare. They reached out to management about the protest the same morning, giving a 45-minute deadline for management to respond.

Workers put together an Instagram account to support the strike, accumulating over 500 followers in a day. Employees voiced their concerns on video and outlined what they wanted from upper management.

“I’ve worked at this company for about a year now and every month I’ve worked here, I’ve struggled to make rent,” a full-time employee named Star said. “We are advocating for a base pay of $16 for our sales associates. It’s currently at $14.”

The current living wage in Austin is $20.80 per hour as of October, according to the City of Austin’s website.

“There is not any exploitation of any kind going on that I am aware of,” owner Shawn Bermudez said in an email responding to the protest. “Our employees make a fair wage and receive benefits, which include health insurance and paid time off, which are rare for a small independent retail business. I have full confidence that once everyone sits down together to talk, we will be able to address all concerns.”

As of Nov. 17, the strike is over and Pavement on Guadalupe is open at its regular hours from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.