Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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Union Busting? One on one meetings. (self.starbucksbaristas)
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DisasterSmall6648 4 points 1y ago
Has your store filed to unionize? My store did earlier in the year and we’ve had a lot of one on ones happen afterwards (we were going to have listening sessions as a group but we protested against them and they chose not to hold the meeting)
It can feel very uncanny to have what seems like polar opposites of information sent your way but here’s the biggest point to take away from the Starbucks “information” - it’s been prepared by lawyers for millions of dollars to try to express their belief partners should vote no and they will use everything they can up to the point that makes it illegal. Their belief can legally be expressed but some of the statements SMs are making are “union busting” (formally called an unfair labor practice or ULP)
If you are concerned that something illegal happened reach out to SB Workers United. We have lawyers helping us decide if what happened was truly illegal and we should file a ULP with the labor board or if it was just very shady legal behavior.
Lastly, hate that their misinformation seemed to work at large in your store. That’s part of why they are having these meetings, to convince people this is a bad idea because it’s bad for corps bottom line if partners receive the dignity and respect they deserve for being the value producers of the company. It truly blows my mind Starbucks is using vast amounts of resources to convince partners against something that’s so clearly in the partners best interest.
It can feel very uncanny to have what seems like polar opposites of information sent your way but here’s the biggest point to take away from the Starbucks “information” - it’s been prepared by lawyers for millions of dollars to try to express their belief partners should vote no and they will use everything they can up to the point that makes it illegal. Their belief can legally be expressed but some of the statements SMs are making are “union busting” (formally called an unfair labor practice or ULP)
If you are concerned that something illegal happened reach out to SB Workers United. We have lawyers helping us decide if what happened was truly illegal and we should file a ULP with the labor board or if it was just very shady legal behavior.
Lastly, hate that their misinformation seemed to work at large in your store. That’s part of why they are having these meetings, to convince people this is a bad idea because it’s bad for corps bottom line if partners receive the dignity and respect they deserve for being the value producers of the company. It truly blows my mind Starbucks is using vast amounts of resources to convince partners against something that’s so clearly in the partners best interest.
Competitive-Trick546 2 points 1y ago
Thank you for replying to my story because it has been bothering me. I briefly explained how shady that situation was with some partners, and I encouraged them to make their own research. I don’t think our store has filed to unionize; is that something the partners at my store have control over? Because if so, the meetings most likely swayed a majority of partners to steer away from that. If that is something we can choose to do, I will try my best to provide partners with better information. Although I’d really like to be carful, because I’m not sure what consequences I could receive if my sm finds out I’m behind it. I do believe unionizing will be best for us, especially at my store. There is a good handful of partners that have things they’d like to report, but they haven’t because they are afraid of the possible consequences.. it’s really sad.
DisasterSmall6648 1 points 1y ago
The entire situation Starbucks is forcing to play out (being extremely anti union, dragging out NLRB hearings, providing blatant false information about “what a union is and will do to partners”) is uncomfortable and unfortunate.
As for knowing if you’ve filed - yes you’d know. A majority within the store would need to sign a “union card” (these cards are basically an RSVP to vote in an election) The card functions as the legal document that, when enough workers sign, force the company to either accept the union or require the labor board to provide an election.
As for what you have control over - this point is big. “The union” isn’t some third party. It’s literally the partners within your store. I say this to express that *you* (the workers within your location) get the control through unionizing. Y’all would be the ones to negotiate *your* contract. Y’all would be the ones to decide if collective action was needed. Y’all would be the ones to decide if a union would even be something y’all want (through cards and then an election)
Last thing is the retaliation. It’s *SUPER* illegal for an employer to retaliate in any way towards a unionization effort (this can include intimidation/coercion/promises of things if you vote no/threats if you vote yes/etc) This is why I’d reach out to SBWU and speak with a lawyer regardless of your stores decisions on unionizing at this moment. The ULPs SBWU is filing are becoming a national issue and the case we are building is turning from store to store into “Starbucks the corporation” (in a national/“entire organization” sense)
If you have a group (even just a couple people) that seem interested in making your store unionized I’d reach out to SBWU and get some resources and just see. The beautiful thing about a union is it’s the group banding together and it’s a lot harder for Starbucks to retaliate against 5 people working to unionize vs one. Solidarity is key to any movement and knowing partners (both in your store and across the country) stand in support of you and every partner getting the dignity and respect they deserve for wearing a green apron should help alleviate some of the fears of retaliation. BUT - the union busting has been a massive case by case basis. My store has been relatively chill. Another store about 20 minutes away (but with a different DM) has had MASSIVE intimidation and threats. The DM and SM can make the union busting go from an “obligatory conversation that corporate is forcing us to have because I as a store manager need my job” to “if you vote yes you’ll lose all your money, your manager will suck and the relationship you’ve built with Starbucks will be ruined” (legit they will say anything that will possibly convince you to vote no or just leave the company)
If the retaliation fear is firing I’d just say this. Do your job and do it as they tell you to do it and they won’t fire you. It’s expensive to hire new people and Starbucks knows it’s better to keep good baristas around then take a gamble on a new hire if they don’t have to. If the news out of Memphis/buffalo/Mesa (totaling 11 partners) who have either been fired/had to quit due to scheduling that seems linked to their unionizing I’d say keep in mind this is 11 partners out of currently 150+ stores and those baristas have seen massive community support (the Memphis 7 had something like 40k in a go fund me shortly after news broke of them getting fired) Plus the labor board is hearing cases on these things. That takes time but I have a feeling at least the buffalo partners will see some sort of retro pay/reimbursement from Starbucks due to them leaving just like they are going to have to do with the Mesa partners. (For clarity the only ULP currently being reviewed by a judge at the labor board is two instances in Mesa. The Memphis and buffalo partners are still waiting for the labor board to review their case to see if they have enough merit to get in front of a judge. This is in addition to something like 30+ ULPs that have been filed and are awaiting review to determine if they can go in front of a judge)
As for knowing if you’ve filed - yes you’d know. A majority within the store would need to sign a “union card” (these cards are basically an RSVP to vote in an election) The card functions as the legal document that, when enough workers sign, force the company to either accept the union or require the labor board to provide an election.
As for what you have control over - this point is big. “The union” isn’t some third party. It’s literally the partners within your store. I say this to express that *you* (the workers within your location) get the control through unionizing. Y’all would be the ones to negotiate *your* contract. Y’all would be the ones to decide if collective action was needed. Y’all would be the ones to decide if a union would even be something y’all want (through cards and then an election)
Last thing is the retaliation. It’s *SUPER* illegal for an employer to retaliate in any way towards a unionization effort (this can include intimidation/coercion/promises of things if you vote no/threats if you vote yes/etc) This is why I’d reach out to SBWU and speak with a lawyer regardless of your stores decisions on unionizing at this moment. The ULPs SBWU is filing are becoming a national issue and the case we are building is turning from store to store into “Starbucks the corporation” (in a national/“entire organization” sense)
If you have a group (even just a couple people) that seem interested in making your store unionized I’d reach out to SBWU and get some resources and just see. The beautiful thing about a union is it’s the group banding together and it’s a lot harder for Starbucks to retaliate against 5 people working to unionize vs one. Solidarity is key to any movement and knowing partners (both in your store and across the country) stand in support of you and every partner getting the dignity and respect they deserve for wearing a green apron should help alleviate some of the fears of retaliation. BUT - the union busting has been a massive case by case basis. My store has been relatively chill. Another store about 20 minutes away (but with a different DM) has had MASSIVE intimidation and threats. The DM and SM can make the union busting go from an “obligatory conversation that corporate is forcing us to have because I as a store manager need my job” to “if you vote yes you’ll lose all your money, your manager will suck and the relationship you’ve built with Starbucks will be ruined” (legit they will say anything that will possibly convince you to vote no or just leave the company)
If the retaliation fear is firing I’d just say this. Do your job and do it as they tell you to do it and they won’t fire you. It’s expensive to hire new people and Starbucks knows it’s better to keep good baristas around then take a gamble on a new hire if they don’t have to. If the news out of Memphis/buffalo/Mesa (totaling 11 partners) who have either been fired/had to quit due to scheduling that seems linked to their unionizing I’d say keep in mind this is 11 partners out of currently 150+ stores and those baristas have seen massive community support (the Memphis 7 had something like 40k in a go fund me shortly after news broke of them getting fired) Plus the labor board is hearing cases on these things. That takes time but I have a feeling at least the buffalo partners will see some sort of retro pay/reimbursement from Starbucks due to them leaving just like they are going to have to do with the Mesa partners. (For clarity the only ULP currently being reviewed by a judge at the labor board is two instances in Mesa. The Memphis and buffalo partners are still waiting for the labor board to review their case to see if they have enough merit to get in front of a judge. This is in addition to something like 30+ ULPs that have been filed and are awaiting review to determine if they can go in front of a judge)
Competitive-Trick546 3 points 1y ago
I’d also like to mention that these meetings visibly swayed the opinion at my store, which led to a lot of bad-mouth against the union. A good amount of the partners at my store are against it, and of course I’m not sure what everyone’s previous opinion was, but I heard a few quickly chose a side after it all.
[deleted] [OP] 1 points 1y ago
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