Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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My supervisor was fired. Be careful, y'all. Don't trust the company (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by keian_nr
After years and years with the company, they were fired because management apparently came up with a reason not to like them, after denying them a promotion for a probably discriminatory reason I won't get into here, for fear of identifying it.
I talked to the manager who hired me, they moved districts now but still helped me wrap my head around what is going on and how I can help fight it. There doesn't seem to be a lot of hope, since the manager told me "Starbucks document their cases really well when they want to fire someone," but I'm holding out hope of at least bringing management down a peg.
What really disgusts me is when I talked to a coworker who's been here longer than me, I was advised not to because it'd ruin my worklife, and management/HR will target me next and make my life hell. I'm going to wait for a few weeks when everyone at the store and district are aware of my supervisor being let go, but then I'm going to start going to bat for my supe, and talking to people who can potentially support me in this. Even if that supervisor moves on and gets a new job, I can't sit and watch this behaviour fly. It would suck if I lost my job, I JUST got health insurance as of this month and have been desperately needing it for a long time. But it's not worth the actions I'm seeing here.
Has anyone ever won a fight like this? Or seen any good change in their district come about as a result of speaking up?
I talked to the manager who hired me, they moved districts now but still helped me wrap my head around what is going on and how I can help fight it. There doesn't seem to be a lot of hope, since the manager told me "Starbucks document their cases really well when they want to fire someone," but I'm holding out hope of at least bringing management down a peg.
What really disgusts me is when I talked to a coworker who's been here longer than me, I was advised not to because it'd ruin my worklife, and management/HR will target me next and make my life hell. I'm going to wait for a few weeks when everyone at the store and district are aware of my supervisor being let go, but then I'm going to start going to bat for my supe, and talking to people who can potentially support me in this. Even if that supervisor moves on and gets a new job, I can't sit and watch this behaviour fly. It would suck if I lost my job, I JUST got health insurance as of this month and have been desperately needing it for a long time. But it's not worth the actions I'm seeing here.
Has anyone ever won a fight like this? Or seen any good change in their district come about as a result of speaking up?
mint_tea_at_midnight 5 points 1y ago
Hey, I’m a barista, and I’m with you here.
I understand how disheartening and alienating it can be to give days of your life to a corporation who really couldn’t give two shits about the people that keep it running just so you can get your basic needs met.
I’m in the same spot. There’s not enough acknowledgment of how terrible that can be, and how much resilience each shift can take.
That being said, we are not alone.
So many people understand this situation far too well. Over 80M people work minimum wage jobs in the US alone (old stats) and deal with the same corporate bullshit.
There are a lot of people who want change.
It’s essentially impossible to fight for accountability against a monolith like Starbucks when you’re on you’re own. But remember, you’re not.
If it is safe, talk with co-workers and try to get then to have your back, and vice-versa. If you choose to go to the higher ups, do it together. It’ll be way harder for them to blacklist your entire staff roster.
See if the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) have a branch in your town. Try to connect online if not. They’re a huge international democratic & nonprofit union run by workers, for workers. They provide support, advice, a rich history of labour movements, and solidarity.
Also see if you have more local unions or labour organizing groups. A Starbucks in my city recently unionized after allying with, of all things, a Steelworking union. They fought (and won!) for higher wages, fair hours (were understaffed & overworked), safer COVID protocols, less hoop jumping for benefits, etc. Change is possible!
Even if you’re not into unionization or politics, local organizers and the IWW will likely be able to provide understanding, advice, and potentially legal support and tips on how to stay safe while searching for accountability.
Please, do stay safe! Be smart about who you talk to.
I wish you all the best
I understand how disheartening and alienating it can be to give days of your life to a corporation who really couldn’t give two shits about the people that keep it running just so you can get your basic needs met.
I’m in the same spot. There’s not enough acknowledgment of how terrible that can be, and how much resilience each shift can take.
That being said, we are not alone.
So many people understand this situation far too well. Over 80M people work minimum wage jobs in the US alone (old stats) and deal with the same corporate bullshit.
There are a lot of people who want change.
It’s essentially impossible to fight for accountability against a monolith like Starbucks when you’re on you’re own. But remember, you’re not.
If it is safe, talk with co-workers and try to get then to have your back, and vice-versa. If you choose to go to the higher ups, do it together. It’ll be way harder for them to blacklist your entire staff roster.
See if the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) have a branch in your town. Try to connect online if not. They’re a huge international democratic & nonprofit union run by workers, for workers. They provide support, advice, a rich history of labour movements, and solidarity.
Also see if you have more local unions or labour organizing groups. A Starbucks in my city recently unionized after allying with, of all things, a Steelworking union. They fought (and won!) for higher wages, fair hours (were understaffed & overworked), safer COVID protocols, less hoop jumping for benefits, etc. Change is possible!
Even if you’re not into unionization or politics, local organizers and the IWW will likely be able to provide understanding, advice, and potentially legal support and tips on how to stay safe while searching for accountability.
Please, do stay safe! Be smart about who you talk to.
I wish you all the best
_Pulltab_ 4 points 1y ago
You have a right to discuss working conditions with coworkers, even if you are NOT part of a union. That’s protected under the NRLA and would include discussing a manager being fired or a manager who sucked. The trouble is, they can come at you sideways and start nitpicking you for a bunch of little stuff and fire you for an entirely different reason on paper, so be careful.
That COULD be what happened to your supervisor, but also consider that there could be more to it than that. There is a pretty serious staffing issue going on, and Starbucks is a risk-adverse corporation. They don’t want to field a bunch of lawsuits for discrimination and unlawful terminations. It’s bad for business and it’s bad for the bottom line. Plus, they can’t afford to get rid of good people right now. Often times there is WAY more to the story.
That COULD be what happened to your supervisor, but also consider that there could be more to it than that. There is a pretty serious staffing issue going on, and Starbucks is a risk-adverse corporation. They don’t want to field a bunch of lawsuits for discrimination and unlawful terminations. It’s bad for business and it’s bad for the bottom line. Plus, they can’t afford to get rid of good people right now. Often times there is WAY more to the story.
awkardNeph 3 points 1y ago
I dont understand why you are trying to fight for someone else. I personally wouldn't risk it against a corporation. Let it be or It could make you look bad since some people are really petty.
MrDragon7656 4 points 1y ago
Found the corporate account
awkardNeph 0 points 1y ago
Nope. Just a supervisor who wouldn't risk my job for anyone. Yall barista are so sensitive sometimes. Maybe they goofed and pissed off the wrong customer. I've heard it happened before. Just be glad if wasn't you who was fired over dumb stuff. This job is nicer than working in a kitchen. It's a corporation shady stuff happens, what do you expect?
sharkiemd 1 points 1y ago
unfortunately there’s not much you can do. starbucks has a forced arbitration agreement that you accept when you become employed that states you MUST settle any issues involving the company through arbitration. this means you cannot sue starbucks in a public court and must settle any issues with the company (including feeling like you or someone else was wrongfully terminated or if you face unlawful harassment) out of court. starbucks has been doing this since 2014.
i agree with the commenter about looking into receiving some kind of support from the IWW. and if you’re thinking about unionizing, BE VERY CAREFUL WHO YOU TALK TO. starbucks can and will fire you if they catch a whif of organizing, although on paper it will be for a different reason.
i agree with the commenter about looking into receiving some kind of support from the IWW. and if you’re thinking about unionizing, BE VERY CAREFUL WHO YOU TALK TO. starbucks can and will fire you if they catch a whif of organizing, although on paper it will be for a different reason.
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