Giving Thanks for Starbucks Workers
Many of us rediscovered the last several weeks and months that taking a break from scrolling headlines and self-important pundits about our imminent demise and Hitting.The.Doors. to help get out the vote is the best recipe for democracy and for mental health. The same can be said for joining workers on a picket line — supporting fellow humans who are bravely taking action to improve their working conditions and our economy.
Early Thursday morning I got to meet a young, diverse group of baristas standing outside their Starbucks store in Olney, MD, cheerfully engaging customers to explain why they were on strike. They were not alone — thousands of workers at over 100 Starbucks stores joined in the Red Cup Rebellion. They trended on social media wiping out Starbucks on one of its biggest promotion days. These young folks organizing with Starbucks Workers United are inspiring and strategic.
Inez with her co-workers was out front in Olney offering customers free cups of steaming hot Dunkin Donuts coffee. Ian and Ryan are supervisors — they are out on the line and organizing as well and chuckling that management from nearby stores had to come in to help open. They greet regulars by name. Jason, a carpenter, stirs cream and sugar into his Dunkin Donuts coffee and says “I get it, I’m a union guy”.
The baristas are not asking for a lot — better wages and benefits from a company making record profits. Fair Scheduling. Most importantly they want Respect — they formed their union so they can have a voice at work and according to US law this is supposed to be their right. It has been almost a year since workers at the Buffalo Starbucks won their first election and while baristas at hundreds of stores have joined them, Starbucks has refused to bargain, continues to harass and fire workers and close stores in retaliation. Howard Schulz is on an ego trip, thinks he knows better than these young workers and believes he is above the law. (And sadly, US labor law is so weak at this point, it enables Starbucks to flout the rules and bully its workers.)
138 workers have been unjustly fired and thousands more are being disrespected as they try to exercise their democratic rights and improve their workplaces. Ted Cruz may not respect baristas but let’s be real — many of these folks are at work as early as 4am to open stores and make our coffee.
As we head into Thanksgiving holidays, spending money on travel and tables loaded with bountiful feasts, let’s ask ourselves — how much do I spend on coffee each month? How much is a more just economy worth to me? The great news is there is an easy way to help — contribute to the Starbucks Workers United Solidarity Fund Can you join us and give $25, $50, $100? — whatever you can do. Let’s put money in the pockets of workers unjustly fired so they can put food on the table and keep organizing and they know we have their back!
This Thanksgiving, let’s say THANK YOU to an inspiring group of young workers, putting themselves on the line and rebuilding a resurgent labor movement. Click now to contribute then post on social and forward to 10 friends and ask them to do the same. It feels good to do good!
