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The War Between Starbucks and Its Unofficial Union
Starbucks has more to worry about than its recent third-quarter loss. A
workers union is gaining momentum, asking the coffee company to give its
staff fair pay, easier access to health insurance and safe working
conditions. Will Starbucks give in?
Digital Journal — It’s been a bad year for Starbucks: this week, the
Seattle-based chain posted its first loss in 16 years, posting a
third-quarter drop of $6.7 million compared to a profit of $153 million
in the year-age quarter; it is planning to shut down 600
“under-performing” Starbucks stores in the U.S.; and management turnover
is causing painful headaches for Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.
But if you think the cor****ation has its bad, look at what their
employees face: Starbucks baristas (read: coffee slingers) are paid
$7.60 an hour on average; only 40 per cent of Starbucks workers are
covered by its health insurance program; and anecdotal evidence suggests
baristas endure injuries when they pour hundreds of frappucinos every day.
Erik Forman is one of the most recent Starbucks ex-workers who want to
fight for a barista’s rights in the workplace. He claims he was fired
from the first-floor Starbucks in the Mall of America in Bloomington,
because he had been talking with other staffers about joining the
four-year-old Starbucks Workers Union run by the Industrial Workers of
the World (IWW) [http://www.iww.org/
]. He circulated some info. He
explained the benefits. And he was promptly fired days later, and
Starbucks management claimed Forman was dismissed for discussing a
written warning he received for coming in late two weeks earlier.
“I’ve heard Starbucks has a history of firing union activists but I
didn’t expect to be fired just for discussing things with co-workers,”
says Forman, 23, in an interview with DigitalJournal.com.
Forman is part of a growing movement of Starbucks staffers and
ex-baristas looking to pressure Starbucks into complying with their
requests. Since their union isn’t recognized by any labour board or
governmental body, they’ve teamed up with the IWW to organize
efficiently. Forman says the union has 200 members across the country.
It’s the right time for Starbucks workers to get unionized, he notes.
Earlier this month, Starbucks announced it would close 619 stores across
the U.S., saying those soon-to-be-shuttered stores were “unprofitable.”
Forman offers some insight into the closures: “Many stores are meeting
their sales target but Starbucks is still shutting them down. It comes
down to cannibalization. Starbucks stores are competing with other
Starbucks on the same intersection, so they figure if they close one the
other store across the street will see increased traffic. But guess
what? The longer lines and more work won’t mean more money for the
baristas.”
The Starbucks union claims baristas’ wages haven’t increased in sync
with the rise of inflation. Forman estimates that a full-time barista
working 40 hours a week will earn $12,000 a year.
He adds: “But in cities with a large union presence, like New York,
baristas have pressured Starbucks to give them a $2 dollar wage increase.”
Forman is also critical of Starbucks’ highly lauded health insurance
program. Although Starbucks is one of the few major retailers to provide
health insurance to part-time employees, receiving the benefits comes
with some conditions. Baristas must work 240 hours per quarter to be
eligible for the program. “I know someone who was one hour short of the
minimum and didn’t receive health coverage,” Forman remembers.
Forman also mentions “Starbucks’ dirty little secret.” Repetitive stress
injuries can afflict bussers and baristas who have to make drinks for
hours at a time, without resting or sitting. A frequent complaint in the
workplace also concerns noise levels in stores. Forman says Mall of
America baristas have frequently complained about hearing loss resulting
from the irritating loud whirring of frappucino blenders. (Not to
mention the constant recycling of Dave Matthews and Paul McCartney music).
What does Starbucks think of these allegations? DigitalJournal.com
repeatedly called Starbucks headquarters in Seattle but didn’t receive a
statement at the time of publication.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told the press after its disappointing
quarter: “Until the economy significantly improves, we're just trying to
do what we can to get through this storm.” And the Starbucks Union out
of the IWW could be using the same statement to headline their goals. If
the two sides don’t find a compromise soon, then expect the battle for
workplace rights to only get more frenzied as the U.S. economy continues
to worsen.
--
Dan Clore
My collected fiction: _The Unspeakable and Others_
http://tinyurl.com/2gcoqt
Lord We˙rdgliffe & Necronomicon Page:
http://tinyurl.com/292yz9
News & Views for Anarchists & Activists:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo
"From the point of view of the defense of our society,
there only exists one danger -- that workers succeed in
speaking to each other about their condition and their
aspirations _without intermediaries_."
--Censor (Gianfranco Sanguinetti), _The Real Re****t on
the Last Chance to Save Capitalism in Italy_
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