Every Starbucks barista is aware of the name of Howard Schultz, every decision made by the board of directors affects individuals all across the nation that those directors will never see.
This is the Starbucks mission statement: “to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.”
I find it quite odd that this mission seems to end where the Seattle office begins, extending policies to baristas like myself all across the nation that neither inspire or nurture the human spirit, and lead to the continued distress of partners across the country. At one Starbucks, I saw two people have panic attacks in the Back of House. I have seen shift managers express concern for their ability to run breaks because we are understaffed and overworked. The same few individuals work long weeks while partners like myself do not receive enough hours in a week to pay for gasoline alone, despite having a large range in availability.
When I started working for Starbucks, I was excited. I knew perfectly well it was a beginning job, but the environment I stepped into was welcoming, the work rewarding, and the level of human connection indeed both nurturing and inspiring. Now, everyone I speak to is upset, angry, and frustrated. The weariness is clear in the eyes of all, as good as is hideable behind a customer service smile, we are still human.
The structure of militant top down authority designing humans to be managed like cogs in a clock goes against the very structure and intend of the Starbucks mission. A mission which seems all too easily forgotten. You give us financial stock in the company, yet you do not give us enough hours to pay to drive. You give us Spotify premium memberships so we can hear hours of music instead of being heard. You give us Lyra so we can get therapy for the stress we face on the front lines of working a job that gives us Perks at Work instead of a voice.
The societal, or collective illusion that having a job with extra benefits does not reflect the actual values of working individuals in the stores every day facing new hardships caused by the recent changes and labor cuts. We value a voice and the right to be heard. The company may run from the top down, but not without the baristas out there every day, changing sanitizer buckets and handing out drinks. And it’s pretty hard to smile when it’s the only shift you have that week or the third 12 hour shift in an environment filled with disharmony. It’s pretty hard to nurture the community when the individuals in power care more about the bottom line than a human lives. Because we are expensive and expendable, and when you cut hours money on a screen go up for you, but we can’t make rent that month. We don’t have enough tips for gasoline that week.
I came to work for Starbucks because when I walked in that store, the baristas looked happy. I didn’t discover the amount of benefits until my First Sip. I am grateful for the benefits, but I was more grateful for the community I found, the friends I made, and the connections I made with members of my community, my neighborhood, by serving coffee to every person in town. Now my barista friends are struggling, every customer blends into another customer as I worry about all the tasks we can’t do because there aren’t enough workers. No breaks, don’t have enough labor. 40 minute wait. Don’t have enough labor. The cafe barely swept? We don’t have enough labor.
Yet the prestige and power of those higher along the institutional ladder mean they don’t care about the most important part of the company: The People.
Inspire and nurture the human spirit, - one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.
Your company is your people. People want to be empowered and feel good about their job, feel like they are a part of something bigger, a moving member in their neighborhood. That mission died with the recent changes within this company.
Seattle is one neighborhood, name mine.