Letter to Starbucks CEO from Starbucks Workers Organizing Stores (August 2024)

 

Dear Laxman Narasimhan,

We, the partners at 15 stores across the country, are joining our 10,500+ union partners at the 470+ union stores to stand up for our dignity, health, and safety as Starbucks workers. A fair contract is a necessity not just to change our company and its working conditions for the better, but also as a building block to give back to the communities in which we are built.

We are told as workers that we are essential partners in creating a welcoming and relaxing third space for our customers, while in the same breath that we have not earned the staffing we need to actually create that space. Our customers’ wait times have exploded while our staffing has shrunk; our income has diminished as our hours have been cut; and our health has declined as our workload has increased. We are drawn in with the promise of benefits Starbucks describes as industry leading, yet struggle against the company to get the minimum hours we need to actually qualify for those benefits.

We are told that our experience as partners is valued, yet as expectations continue to grow, we are starved of the resources we need to succeed. Promo after promo, we are left struggling: struggling to connect with our customers and our fellow partners, struggling to have three people do the work of six for no additional pay, struggling to hold our stores together. Discussing these problems with store managers and district managers does nothing to bring change to our stores, so we have decided to take matters into our own hands and join together in the union. Across the country, these experiences unite our stores, and together we are unionizing to demand better staffing, guaranteed hours, and proper compensation for the work we are doing.

We refuse to be pawns in a zero-sum game. If we are truly partners, we demand to join you at the bargaining table so that we, too, can have a say in the future of the company that could not run without our labor.

In solidarity,

The partners atUSC Village – Los Angeles, CA
Collins & Lamar – Arlington, TX
Hamden (2100 Dixwell Avenue) – Hamden, CT
Litchfield Turnpike – Woodbridge, CT
One Liberty Plaza – Manhattan, NYC
Hwy 70 & Hwy 20 – Marysville, CA
Shoppes at Belmont – Lancaster, PA
82nd & King – Portland, OR
Central & 53rd – Fridley, MN
30th & Arapahoe – Boulder, CO
St John-US 41 & 101st Ave – St John, IN
Summit & Main – Crown Point, IN
Murray Ave – Pittsburgh, PA
433 Cleveland – Clearwater, FL
300 E. Lincoln Hwy, Exton – Exton, PA

Some New Faces In Oregon's Labor Movement!

Partners at the 28th and Burnside Starbucks location in Portland voted

for their union this week and won big!

Progress for Starbucks workers!

 

Starbucks Workers United is making history today!

Starbucks Workers United is announcing their biggest filing day for union elections in Starbucks Workers United history - workers atTWENTY-ONE new stores are announcing their organizing efforts together today!

Congratulations to Wells-Fargo workers in Daytona Beach who just went union! What about Salem-Keizer?

REI workers are organizing for union representation nationally. We have REI.

Starbucks workers are organizing nationally. We have lots of Starbucks stores.

Healthcare professionals are organizing across Oregon. Salem Hospital is non-union.

Wells Fargo workers are organizing around the United States. We have Wels Fargo banks and a large Wells Fargo center.

Amazon workers are organizing nationally. We have an Amazon facility.

There are plenty of union organizing opportunities in Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties. If you are interested in forming a union, contact the Oregon AFL-CIO. If you work for one of the employers mentioned above, hit the link to connect with the union that is active in your sector. 

Top Cut:
Bankers and tellers at a Wells Fargo branch in Daytona Beach, Florida, voted last week to join the Communications Workers of America’s (CWA’s) Wells Fargo Workers United. This is the second-ever successful election at the megabank.

Why It Matters:
Momentum around organizing Wells Fargo branches is building quickly across the country. Just weeks ago staff at a branch in Albuquerque, New Mexico, became the first to win a union election, and workers in Wilmington, Delaware, filed for a union election soon after. Despite Wells Fargo’s anti-union attacks, these workers are fighting to secure a meaningful voice on the job to improve conditions for themselves and their customers.

Note: the reference to The Onion in the graphic above refers to on-going union activism at The Onion, a satirical and often hilarious on-line publication. This is almost new territory for union organizing. And despite what looks like glum numbers above, note that worker activism at Wells Fargo has won over $205 million for workers in just a short period. If you set out to organize a union in Marion, Polk or Yamhill counties you will have support.

The graphic, photo and news story come from the AFL-CIO Daily Brief.

A Starbucks in Medford, Oregon is on the way to union representation!

The Starbucks stores recently going union include the West Main one in Medford, Oregon and one in Los Angeles and two in Plainfield, Indiana.

If you are a Starbucks partner, please go here to start getting a union in where you work.

If you are supporting Starbucks partners as they organize, please go here to help out.

Great News From Starbucks Workers United

GREAT news: A federal administrative law judge in Colorado has ruled that Starbucks worker and Starbucks Workers United organizer Len Harris was illegally fired for organizing a union. The judge has ordered Starbucks to not only rehire her, but issue back pay and apologize.

"I'm incredibly validated," said Len. Hear the Colorado Public Radio report here.

Starbucks Workers United Calls Out The Human Rights Campaign, Questions Raised About Labor & Liberal Non-Profits

I won't pretend to understand all of the issues involved here, and I won't pretend to be a perfect empath, but at first read it seems that the relatively progressive and pro-LGBTQIA+ Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has gotten cozy with Starbucks even as a national union campaign calls on the company to negotiate with the workers where union elections have been held and the union has won and to follow the laws and generally do the right thing where the workers are concerned.

It may help readers to go here, here, here, and here for some context. The impression that I get from reading these sources is that Starbucks is feeling the squeeze from the union and its supporters during the holiday season and needs some goodwill and love from a liberal non-profit to boost flagging sales.

The HRC can't say that they have not heard of the union campaign because it is has been in the news for years now and because non-profits should be investigating who they're supporting before they start handing out commendations. It matters here that some of the most visible leaders of the union effort are LGBTQIA+ and that many workers supporting the effort support a ceasefire in Palestine/ Israel and other social justice and solidarity issues. Why does it matter? Because the HRC and most of its supporters also identify with movements for social justice. 

The union's criticism of HRC can be read as a challenge to the HRC and its supporters: Which side are you on? It seems that the HRC has taken a relatively progressive stand on events in Palestine/Israel, is close to the Biden administration despite pressure from activists, and has ties to other liberal non-profits and political groups. The HRC has won support from some in the labor movement, although I cannot find anything that tells me if HRC workers are represented by a union or not. We frequently hit a wall with liberal organizations that are right on many issues but will not deal with matters of class or encourage their workers to join a union or negotiate in good faith with a union that represents their workers.  

We in the labor movement do not have a perfect record here, but we have some leadership who understand the struggles for LGBTQIA+ liberation from their owned lived experience and we have a base and an ability to do more and better and we have Pride At Work and similar organizations in particular unions (see for instance SEIU Local 503's caucus, CWA-AFA, IBT LGBTQ Caucus) to lead us. 

In any case, Starbucks Workers United wants you to know about "what actual trans and queer workers have to say about their experience working at Starbucks."

The union press release mentioned above reads as follows:

 
We’re disappointed to see that the Humans Rights Campaign gave Starbucks a perfect score on their “Corporate Equality Index” again this year.

HRC seemingly ignored what actual queer and trans workers are saying about their experiences working for Starbucks. Members of our union’s Trans Rights Action Committee shared some of their stories on social media, and give an insight into the many systemic problems Starbucks has with their treatment of LGBTQIA+ workers - especially those who choose to exercise their legal right to organize.



Check out what queer and trans workers at Starbucks had to say, and help us call on the Human Rights Campaign to stand alongside organizing workers, many of which are members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

(Clicking on this graphic takes you to a union Instagram account in the

 original press release.)

Starbucks has repeatedly violated labor law hundreds of times according to the National Labor Relations Board. Companies that do wrong by their workers AND the law should NOT be celebrated as a fair employer.

Amplify the message to demand Starbucks to come to the bargaining table in good faith! As history has shown, labor rights are LGBTQIA+ rights - and you can stand up for your rights if you’re a Starbucks Partner or ally. Get in touch with our union to learn how and start organizing.

See you online,

Josie Serrano
Starbucks Workers United

Note: All graphics and the press release text used here comes from Starbucks Workers United. The opinions expressed here are not those of the Marion-Polk-Yamhill Central Labor Chapter or the Oregon AFL-CIO.

Support Starbucks Workers United over the holidays

 An email from Starbucks Workers United reminds us of the following facts:

Since we won our first union just two years ago -

* We won ~380 union elections
* We’ve gone on nationwide strikes with thousands of our coworkers

* Our movement continues to grow + win improvements at Starbucks

We’re really proud of the work we’ve done and will continue to do.

Over the last two years, on top of continued union-busting in stores, Starbucks has repeatedly and illegally failed to bargain in good faith with the Union. We need them to actually come to the table in good faith with workers in 2024 - we’ve been ready and waiting for a very long time. It is way past time that Starbucks sit down and bargain with us meaningfully.

The company has not substantively responded to a single union contract proposal in over 17 months. Actions speak louder than words. It’s time to bargain in good-faith.

The union is asking for our help. You can help by sharing their story on social media, forwarding this email to a friend, and telling everyone to sign the No Contract, No Coffee pledge on our website.

Some Union News & Headlines For November 30, 2023

On this date in labor history Mother Jones died in 1930 and the anti-WTO march was held in Seattle in 1999. I know that we have some readers who were in Seattle for the 1999 demonstration, so a special thanks goes out to them today.

Photo taken from the Oregon AFL-CIO

The Oregon AFL-CIO listed the following in the Oregon Labor Dispatch under today's date:

Rally with SEIU Local 503 Members at Portland State University
Tomorrow: Friday, December 1, Urban Plaza, SW Mill St in Portland at noon
SEIU Local 503 members are rallying at PSU to show they are united, strong, and fighting for the fair contract they deserve. Join with them to send a strong message to PSU administration!

University of Oregon Labor Center Collective Bargaining Institute
December 3-8, University Place Hotel, Portland Oregon
Want to be ready for your next round of bargaining? Join union leaders from around the state at the Labor Education and Research Center's Collective Bargaining Institute. In this hands-on program, participants learn all the fundamentals of effective negotiations -- from drafting proposals and contract costing, to managing the bargaining team and finding a settlement. Scholarships are available! Click here for more details and to register online.

81st Annual Children’s Holiday Party - Marion-Polk-Yamhill Central Labor Chapter
December 9, 9:00am -12:00pm, Ken Allen AFSCME Labor Canter, 1400 Tandem Ave NE in Salem
Join the Marion-Polk-Yamhill Central Labor Chapter for a free and fun-filled event with cookies, crafts, gift bags, live music and the one and only Caesar the No Drama Llama.

The Labor Market: Flea Market and Maker Fair
December 9-10, Goldsmith Blocks Building, 412 NW Couch in Portland, 10:00am - 6:00pm
Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind film worker flea market and maker fair! The Labor Market will feature original works of art, handcrafts and other creative products made by film workers, and a flea market where treasures you’ve seen on the screen in locally filmed tv shows and movies could be waiting to be discovered. All sales of goods go directly to the Union member-vendor. The market will have live music, entertainment, raffles, and special guest Santa Claus.

The following graphic comes from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). IATSE is one of many unions that, along with the AFL-CIO, are marking Native American Heritage Month. 

PCUN, Oregon's farmworker union, is reporting the following today:

Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude for the hardworking people who harvest and process our foods, often under dangerous conditions and usually for a very low wage. According to the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS), around 2.4 million farmworkers labor on US farms and ranches, and about 71% of farmworkers who work in crop production are immigrants. At least half, or 1.2 million farmworkers, are undocumented, which creates many barriers for families in the United States when it comes to accessing services that are critical for the well-being of our communities. One of the best ways to thank a farmworker is to support pathways to legalization and citizenship for the hands that feed America, in addition to supporting the collective bargaining rights of farmworkers.

We at the Marion-Polk-Yamhill Central Labor Chapter strongly encourage you to go to PCUN's website and support PCUN as you are able to.

Photo from KPIC

In other news...

* Labor's Community Service Agency has issued an appeal for support for union families over the holidays. Part of the solidarity appeal reads as follows:

We are humbly asking you to make a donation today, so collectively, we can provide holiday resources to our union families and create a memorable holiday season during a difficult time. We cannot continue our program without your financial support, as it is a crucial part of the work we do. Can we again rely on you to assist working families during the holiday season? Because harm to one brother or sister is harm to all of us.

Our message: Please help out if you can. Remember the old adage to give 'til it hurts and then 'til it feels good.

* The National Domestic Workers Alliance is gathering stories from people who have had to stay home because of issues with childcare. Collecting these stories is an important part of their campaign, but the Alliance is working on many other issues as well. Please go to their page and submit your story, but also consider joining in their December 11 Zoom event with Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su.

* The Oregon Center for Public Policy has a new plan out to build economic justice in Oregon. This means raising incomes, building workers' power, changing the tax system and much more. Can you get space on your union meeting or Chapter or Council agenda to discuss their plan and perhaps have a speaker from the Center?

* The Communications Workers of America is reporting a string of union organizing victories. According to the union, "Over the past month, workers have joined CWA at Education Week and Rising for Justice (Washington-Baltimore NewsGuild, TNG-CWA Local 32035), The Guardian and Journal Pioneer newspapers (CWA Canada Local 30130), Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (United Media Guild, TNG-CWA Local 36047), Google Help (Alphabet Workers Union-CWA Local 9009), and Wisconsin Watch (Milwaukee Newspaper Guild, TNG-CWA Local 34051)." This short list does not include Wells Fargo workers at two bank branches in Albuquerque, NM, and Bethel, AL. who filed for the bank’s first-ever union elections on Monday.

* Trader Joe's United, the union seeking to represent workers at Trader Joe's, is working on a campaign to end junk fees and hold greedy corporations accountable to consumers. This campaign potentially affects most workers and deserves everyone's support. Also, please check in with the union as you consider your holiday shopping options.

* Starbucks Workers United is claiming a victory after their recent strike. The union says that "Our Red Cup Rebellion, where more than 5,000 Starbucks workers went on strike, has already landed a major victory - the ability for workers to pause mobile orders during especially busy rushes."

They need our help spreading the word on social media.

* A great learning and activating opportunity here: Minnesota unions and their community partners are gearing up for an unprecedented wave of potential strikes and community actions with a deadline of the first week of March 2024. This date likely coincides with similar potential action here in Oregon. Representing tens of thousands of workers with contracts expiring and other deadlines at that time, labor and allied organizations are working together to align their demands and narratives to win at the bargaining table and push politicians at city hall and the state capitol. We have much to learn from this organizing.

Join Bargaining for The Common Good, In These Times, The Center for Innovation in Worker Organization, CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, The Action Center on Race and The Economy, The Kalmanovitz Initiative, Workday Magazine and other partners on Tuesday, January 9th, 2024: at 3:00 PM (PST) for a webinar featuring representative labor and community leaders from across the movement. The talk will be about going on the offensive and winning. Go to Bargaining for the Common Good to register for the event.

Photo from the UAW

* An article by Julia Conley posted on Common Dreams yesterday under the headline "UAW Launches Largest Union Organizing Drive in US History" indicates that the United Auto Workers has been taking lots of calls from workers employed in non-union auto plants and parts suppliers since setting the contracts with the Big Three auto companies and feels confident that it can lead a new wave of mass organizing now. This union push will have to have two sides to it---organizing workers in the plants and taking on politics---because many of the plants are in "right to work states" and the union will face strong opposition from Republican office holders. Conley quotes the union's president as saying, "You don't have to worry about how you're gonna pay your rent or feed your family while the company makes billions. A better life is out there. It starts with you—UAW."

The AFL-CIO meanwhile announced that "After 11 weeks on strike, the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) reached a tentative agreement on Tuesday with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network (BCN). The contract includes the reduction of wage progression from 22 years to five, significant general wage increases, a $6,500 ratification bonus for Blue Cross Blue Shield workers, a $5,000 ratification bonus for BCN workers, inflation protection bonuses of $1,000 each year of the contract and protections against outsourcing. Members will remain on strike during the ratification process."

Photo from the UAW

Photo from the AFL-CIO's Daily Brief of 

November 30, 2023 and a UAW press release