A union revolution is brewing at Starbucks #7356

That's a store on Madison Avenue in New York City. Daniel Gross, who is trying to unionize Starbucks employees, says: "Their dirty little secret is the repetitive strain injuries. Starbucks is not some old-world European coffeehouse. We face an extraordinary demand every day, while an epidemic of understaffing requires us to work at lightning speed." He adds: "The hook for their employment message is that hours are flexible. But they’re flexible for the boss, not you!" He complains that managers post schedules no more than one week in advance, and that workers’ hours can vary from 8 to 37 a week. (New York Magazine)

Comments

[StellaLafayette]

uh yea... for that and 433 other reasons i finally gave my notice. i was a slave for the benefits. thank god for cobra.

[Solyom]

1) Workers in 'old-world European coffeehouse' never got repetitive strain injuries?

2) 'The hook for their employment message is that hours are flexible. But they’re flexible for the boss, not you!" He complains that managers post schedules no more than one week in advance, and that workers’ hours can vary from 8 to 37 a week'

Thank you, Captain Obvious. Any 8 to 10/hour job is gonna be like that.

[Bill]

I've a starbucks "partner" in seattle for well over a year now, and hating the structure of the corporation everyday. This thought was re-energized in my head over the weekend when I visited a local coffee shop near the university of washington campus. At that particular coffeehouse, the cafe experience was truly recognized, unlike the sterile setting that is starbucks. People, including the workers, actually enjoyed their stay there, instead of the constant bombardament of traffic at any given starbucks. The workers at the starbucks displayed personality and character through the way they dress, the way they carry themselves, and the music that they played, which all seemed interconnected. At the starbucks at work at (and all of you other "partners" will agree), we have NO identity outside of the black/white shirt wearing faces that press buttons on the register or the espresso machine for all you ungrateful customers. I recognize that starbucks wants consistency and standards from coast-to-coast, but at what expense? The only thing that happens from this is disgruntle employees fed up about their jobs (and yes, it's only a job to me, nothing more), who only work there to pay for rent and keep their benefits. I find myself wandering into local coffeeshops more and more now because I want the "real" experience of a coffeehouse, rather then the "wannabe" that starbucks continues to portray and has continuously failed to achieve. To wrap up this point, I believe it would be in the best interest of starbucks if they could truly decide whether they want to be an actually coffeehouse (which would require them to relinquish the 3 minute rule when it comes to service time, and as well as allowing individuality in their work force), or whether they want to head in the direction of a fast food restaurant (which is where they're headed, because their only concern right now is speed of service along with quality). I believe starbucks can't have a both ways or else it would be compromising the true essence of a coffeehouse experience. Thanks for reading again...

[writer_nw]

8 to 37 hours a week? Posted a week before hand? Wow...that sounds...

LIKE EVERY RETAIL JOB I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!

If the kid doesn't like it...quit and find something else.

[Naomi]

I am a supervisor for Starbucks,and yes it's true that for the most part we get our scheduals on a weekly basis, and we are required to move quickly in serving customers, but ( unless your manager is a moron) you are told all of that during the interview...it's not like they lure you in with candy coated lies and then try and shove you in the oven once they've "hooked you"...if you have a problem with the way things are run, then why take the job in the first place? I bet the article failed to mention that you are allowed to request days off and as long as it's done at least a week in advance, you'll most likely get it, and there is also an availabilty form your supposed to fill out once you are hired, the manager makes your schedual based on what you wrote down, so basically, you do make your own schedual, again, if you don't like it, you know where the door is. It isn't out of the ordinary to run things like this, almost every retail store does

[Lou Sussler]

This guy Gross would be virulently unhappy at any place of employment. He also appears to be a member of the subset of people who not only are unhappy but are determined to make everyone around them unhappy also.

If people are so unhappy in a job or make so little that they have to eat garbage, maybe it's time to get another job. If you think the job pays a slave wage, why take it to begin with? This is America, you're not going to starve.

No, this guy Gross is a professional crybaby, a whiner whose existence is justified to himself by the level of trouble he can cause others.

[CoffeeBoy]

So if the schedule was made out 3 weeks in advance, how could I ask for a day off next week or the next? I would have to plan out my life weeks in advance. THAT isn't flexible.

This guy is a MORON!

[Partner 1139XXX]

I still can't believe it.

Here is a company that goes above and beyond the minimum wage fast-food jock by providing better pay (We are still bar and till monkeys in the end and despensible) and benefits and yet people want more.

I hate to break it to you Mr. Gross, but you're not that important. If you want to be more important in life, get a more important job! Or give up now while your ahead, just don't drag the sharks of organized labour into it, they can smell labour unrest from a mile away!

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

I like the idea of a union. Call me an old-fashioned New Deal Democrat but I still like the ideas of union. Many other things I do are old-fashioned like I don't believe in cars or electric lighting. Yes, I actually walk or take the T everywhere and most of the time I use candles for illumination. But anyways I have a revenged in store for his little store against the management there. Its going to be so silly. I can't wait, I hope it is really busy!!!

[writer_nw]

Partner 1139XXX...

You may like the ideologies of the Union but apparently you don't like the ideas of proper grammar.

[Partner 1139XXX]

I like the ideologies of organized labour? Hardly, I think of them as nothing more than a street-legal mob.

And, while I will agree that my grammar was atrocious and choice of wording poor (I wrote it in about 2 minutes on a PDA while waiting for a bus) but, putting down the speaker in a debate is nothing more than fallacy.

[writer_nw]

10 bonus points if you can name the fallacy.

[baristandup]

I would just like to say as a Starbucks barista thank you so much to Daniel and everyone else involved up in New York for your hard work and dedication in the fight for a better life for all Starbucks workers. May you inspire the rest of us to be the heros that you guys and girls have been.

[Che Guevara]

Go starbucks #7356!
Viva La Revolucion!

[melina]

che guevara....nice!

[Drinker]

I can see why people in crummy situations form unions, but if Starucks were to unionize it would be a huge red flag to me that this is not a place where I can count on good service. Basically the customer will be treated only as well by the worker as the worker is treated by her boss, and a union would signal poor Starbucks-employee relations.

And while I respect unionized workers, I would not be optimistic about getting speedy or friendly service in a unionized shop.

Strange that a company that offers unprecedent health care benefits would be the target of a union drive.

[Jessica]

Are we hinting at this Madison Avenue store still having the old bar? Because that what it sounds like.

[baristandup]

Its time to dispell the myth that Starbucks offers anything unprecedented as far as health care or any other benefit they offer other than a free pound of coffee every week.

Whole Foods Market who I had the distinct torture of working for offers a benefits package very similar to Starbucks. Even Wal-Mart offers a health care plan that is similar to Starbucks.

Baristas pay a large percentage of their paychecks to Starbucks for health care premiums not because the premiums are high but because the pay is so low. I work with a woman who pays somewhere in the neighboorhood of seventy dollars a paycheck for her health insurance at Starbucks while she makes only around seven dollars an hour.

Another thing is I don't find anything special about offering health benefits to people who work twenty hours or more a week when if you do only work around twenty hours a week and you PURCHASE the health insurance plan through Starbucks you have hardly any check left over to buy food, pay rent, or do anything else.

We are on food stamps, we live in housing projects, and we deliver your coffee with a smile. So before you start questioning why a Starbucks worker would want to organize talk to a barista who works at Starbucks for a living. Not a barista who is working at Starbucks to pay for gas money to get through college and living at home with mommy and daddy. Starbucks has taken those kids and made corporate activists out of them and its sad because one day when mommy and daddy won't be able to put them up any more they will realize how much Starbucks took advantage of their labor.

In conclusion I would like to say Starbucks is not sweatshop, we are not indentured servants or slaves. But we are people. And people have needs and people have rights. My only problem with Starbucks is it only recognizes these truths in theory and on paper and on TV. But the actual meat and bones of what Starbucks has to offer has left myself and countless others whether it be baristas or farmers in Indonesia or laundry workers at Cintas; hungry, tired, hurt, and desiring a little bit more.

Thanks for your time.

[writer_nw]

Baristandup...Get a different job if you hate the slave driving Starbucks store that you currently work at.

I hope they all get fired for causing trouble. That'd be funny.

Ad hominem. Anyway, whoever said that during Starbucks interviews they are up front about how physically demanding the job is, that's a load of crap. You are given coffee tastings, treated like gold, then once you are hired and trained, you are used and abused. You are never given time to do anymore tastings. You're lucky if you get your last ten minute break. You are lucky if you are rotated off bar or register every 40 minutes let alone every three hours. And just because the new machines have made it easier to pull shots, making blended bevs in the summer time during rushes means a lot of repetitive movement that csn result in injuries. And yes, anyone can quit but once you have benefits, it's harder to quit.

Working at Starbucks can be fun and the people you work with can be great, but the job wears you down. It's surprisingly hard work and no one is going to tell you that up front during the interview process. I'll tell you right now, waiting tables is easier. I've done both. I've never been is such constant pain as I am now.

[baristandup]

I will not get a different job because I don't hate my job. I want to improve my job because I'm not the only one suffering because of the actions of the company. If I were to leave my co-workers to deal with the company alone that would further perpetuate the turnover that Starbucks relies on to help keep labor off their case. That cycle stops with all of us who have decided and will decide to do something about our problems. Quitting and looking for a job that might not even be there and turning my back on the problems of people I care about. Not my style.

Love you anyway writer_nw. Thanks for engaging.

[Drinker]

Barsitandup, does Wal Mart offer health care to part-time employees? According to

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/transform/protest.html

and

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/sweatshops/2665.html

and

http://www.ufcw.org/issues_and_actions/walmart_workers_campaign_info/facts_and_figures/walmartonbenefits.cfm

... it takes two years to become eligible at Wal Mart if you are part time.Also, it takes six months if you are full time.

According to

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_47/b3909098.htm

... all Starbucks workers at 20 hours/week and up get health care. Is this true? What are the premiums?

[baristandup]

Good observations drinker but just because you may get it quicker at Starbucks doesn't mean its any better once you have it. And sometimes its a struggle to maintain it once you get it at Starbucks because 20 hours a week can be a tall order for some managers to fill for all partners who need it.
I also think twisting the issue and trying to pit one employers benefits package against another is entirely wrong for this issue. The issue here is Starbucks workers are standing up for their right to organize to better their working conditions and standard of living. Doesn't really matter what Wal-Mart is doing or K-Mart is doing. We are doing what we are doing and we're not seeking anything the company cannot afford to do.
So I guess my point is it doesn't matter if we were making ten dollars an hour and paying nothing for our health insurance our right to organize and the legitimacy of our actions are not diminished in any way.

[Drinker]

Baristandup:

Here is the relevant document. Basically, Starbucks workers are eligible for health care after two months, assuming they work 20 hours per week:

http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/SB-YSB-US-HR.pdf

It's not clear how long it takes before a worker is actually covered, since an enrollment kit is mailed and two weeks provided to fill it out, and there's an effective date provided in the kit. But even if it took a full month, 3 months for coverage is a lot less than two years for coverage, wouldn't you say?

Also according to

http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/CSR2004_Sec5Workplace.pdf

... Starbucks pays 77 percent of employee health care costs. Walmart pays 66 percent, according to the PBS Frontline story I linked earlier.

Baristandup, how can you justify the statement "Wal-Mart offers a health care plan that is similar to Starbucks?" That sounds completely incorrect and deceptive.

I have zero affiliation with Starbucks, except as a customer. But I do not like being accused of spreading a "myth."

[Drinker]

Baristandup, I just saw your most recent post. Check my post for why the plan is better at Starbucks, not just eligibility (though eligibility would be enough of an edge for Starbucks anyway). Also, I did *not* bring up Walmart, you did. You are the one who made the comparison, so you are the one who, in your words, is "twisting the issue and trying to pit one employers benefits package against another."

[dee]

Gross says,
"When the shift supervisor asked you to ‘please move a little faster,’ you intentionally proceeded to move at a slower pace than before."
That's union labor for ya! Pay more, get less no account,losers who probably couldn't get a better job because they are so inept & anti social, with an attitude problem to boot! Gross must come from some hoity-toity upbringing if he thinks what he does at Starbucks can be compared to slave labor. Any "plantation worker" would have loved getting vacation pay, holiday pay, health insurance, 401 k benefits, stock benefits, personal days off...........
Yes it's true that 20 hours a week gets you benefits. Cost depends on the program you select. I have the best one and pay about $90.00 a month, that includes vison and dental.

[baristandup]

Drinker what you are doing is a typical union busting tactic that organizers sometimes refer to as clouding the issue. You have taken something I have said out of context and then chose to try and exploit it. And the fact that you would use union sources to try and achieve that end is very interesting (ufcw.org). All I'm asking drinker is that you as a customer of Starbucks support the baristas no matter what their decision may be whether its for or against organizing. We are all hard working, dedicated people trying to get by on very little. It doesn't matter if its comparatively or not, it is what it is.

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

Baristastandup. Don't worry these people just don't understand Starbucks. I personally pay only about $8 for the medical, dental, and vision insurance that is very good. I do agree with the idea of a union or else Starbucks can continue to abuse the workers. I know several employees who only missed the number of hours necessary by like 30 minutes. Does anybody think its a good idea to put online the cell phone numbers of the all the regional directors and district managers here in New England. Yes New England is now divided into three different regions. I heard the New York City is its own region.

[Drinker]

Baristandup, you were wrong. I called you on it.

If you just concede the Walmart point, there are other points of yours I am sympathetic to. I doubt I could handle a Starbucks gig.

Instead, you have thrice attacked me, a random Starbucks customer on the Internet (who has posted here in the past, by the way, and has zero affiliation with Starbucks or any sort of anti union activity).

I have zero desire to "support" EITHER side in a labor dispute, all else being equal. Either side knows more than I do.

[baristandup]

I apologize if I sound standoffish at times and I do not mean to attack you Drinker. I apologize. Good show for calling me out on Wal-Mart. No ifs ands or buts it would appear their health insurance plan is worse than Starbucks even if you get info from Wal-Marts website it would appear Starbucks has Wal-Mart beat hands down as far as cost to the employee and eligibility rules. There are a lot of talking points in comparing Starbucks to Wal-Mart and I would love to talk about them someday. But not today. Going to bed!

[Drinker]

No hard feelings. Sorry if I was dogmatic. Too much espresso? ;->

[Drinker]

(I meant too much espresso for me, of course ...)

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

There is no such thing as too much espresso.

[Jessica]

This is true, haha.

[cornfrost]

One point has remained unexplored, though baristastandup touched upon it. There are many separate categories of partners in our store. Some are indeed living in housing projects, and this is a long-term job for them. They don't necessarily have many other, or higher-paying, options. Some have ambitions to move up to Starbucks management. Some are students or just out of school, and are casting around for a real job. They need something to do in the meantime. Some are there for the benefits, while acting or freelancing. I suspect that people's individual circumstances (and reasons for being there) largely determine how they feel about unionization. I also think their individual experiences can vary enormously, even from shift to shift. Some stores do/don't have a good manager and some are/aren't a good fit. I myself have had much worse work experiences at "real," well-paying jobs.

[Partner 1139XXX]

I think that if you're going to downplay the benefits package because you have to pay $XX a month for it out of your paycheck than you should start looking at the government instead.

I'm canadian and while I should technically pay $70 a month for my chosen benefits package, I pay nothing. Because I fall into a certain tax bracket, my provincial government picks up that $70 for me. That's what I call supporting the workers.

Personally I'm against the concept of a unionized starbucks because I think that as a WHOLE starbucks has good intentions, but with 90,000 partners, it's hard to be amazing to each and everyone.

Not that I'm saying we should write off every abused or overworked partner, we should actually look at the problem. Most problems are ones that can be easily rid of from the store by merely talking to the right person. At my last store we had a really bad manager who gave preferential hours, abused (verbally) the partners and drove them really hard to keep the labour hours down (and drive her bonus up). I banded together with a couple other shifts and we talked to our DM and 2 days later ou r manager was outright fired.

If you really feel that you are being oppressed at your workplace than start talking to people above you, keep going up until someone listens.

All that unionization does is make everyone above you want to avoid dealing with you and in the long run that's worse.

[CJ Turner]

The nice part about a retail job is that at the end of the day, you can quit if you would like. Starbucks doesn't promise to be "for everyone". Everybody I know worked a job like this growing up, the only difference is that Starbucks offers you benefits on a part time schedule and an opportunity for discounted stock options every three months. I appreciate his "liberal" mind but think that he might want to spend some time in the real world before going after a company, that when reviewed, has demonstrated an incredible dedication to its employees and the environment.

I say no all the time. To the soccer mom with the bratty kid who double parks her SUV, who asks for foam on top of her Iced Latte. I say "no."

[Barista xxxx631]

I'm just a barista...lowest on the chain...here’s how I see it.

I just received my health care packet and to tell those who have no idea about the benefits let me list to you the cost....
(Every two weeks)

Routine Care PPO $10.60
POS and Out of Area $24.50
Open Choice PPO $64.80
Those are the three to pick from in my area.

Then Vision cost $1.50 and Dental cost $5.50

Now these are quite affordable if you are only insuring yourself...once you insure self and child it gets to be too expensive for someone like myself, who only makes $7 an hour for 25 average hours even though I have open availability.

Do I complain? No, because I still like working for *$. (Because I still believe in the company and because I know that this not my career.) This is just a stepping stone on my path.

I agree that partners are warned in advance that the job is tough, because I know that my manager told me in advance at the interview that I would be working my butt off. That there would be lots of repetitive motion tasks and that I would have to give 110% to my job. I took the job willingly knowing all this.

If you are unhappy then make the change...but don't blame the company for your misery. If you don’t agree then, oh well, it is after all my opinion.

[writer_nw]

You think health care is free? Are you entitled to it?

The benefits are a godsend to me. I have a husband and three children. All healthy. Prior to my employment with Starbucks our health insurance got jacked up to $900 a month for only health insurance (no vision, no dental, no life)because my husband turned 50.

The insurance Starbucks provides is outstanding. I am so grateful.

I enjoy working there, most of our partners are terrific, we have a lot of good, loyal customers who appreciate our service.

I agree with others on this thread- if you don't like it- just leave. Miserable partners are a bitch.

[notapartneroradrinker]

The problem that has been touched on here is that you can't live on Starbucks wages. I concede that all retail jobs are similar in structure. Therefore, as someone who has worked many retail jobs (including Starbucks), I would opine that the larger problem is- you can't live on retail wages. That seems to be the real issue. If you aren't married, and don't have a second income, it is REALLY, REALLY hard to live on $7 an hour, 20-30 hours per week. I know. I've done it. And go to school to get a better education to get a "better job"? Forget about it.
Is this the fault of the retailer? Society? I don't know. Starbucks' product isn't just coffee, it's an image, and that makes the company an easy target.

[an american]

Don't forget the union's primary motivation...to enroll more dues paying union members. While you are still paying for your healthcare, the union will also take its cut from your paycheck, with absolutely no guarantee that it will improve your working conditions or pay by one iota. Nor will you have the choice to join the union or not. If the union's in the Starbucks, you will be in the union, whether you want to or not. Talk about flexibility...

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

I called the store today. I talked with their store manager James about coffee. He was improperly described four coffees to me. He did not properly describe Verona, Gold Coast, Kenya, or Arabian Mocha Sanini. I find it very disturbing that a store manager is unable to properly describe the coffees when Uncle Howie has said that is what first drew him to Starbucks. Also when I asked about the price of brewing equipment such as a Grande Aroma or a French Press, he inaccurately quoted the price of both. Also he was unable to tell me the benefits of the different grinders. From this conversation, I can infer that the store is not good. Maybe from a barista you might not be able get all the above information. However, from a store manager I expect him/her to give me all the correct information. This store in itself is a serious problem and should be thoroughly reviewed.

[Fleshia Campbell]

Starbucks is not an easy place to work. I work in the busiest store in the Atlanta area and I can promise you from partners to customers from one day to the next you never know what to expect. I just try to stay prepared for anything, move as fast as possible, and say as little as possible. I don't really consider this store fun to work. I have worked at others and it was better. I used to have dreams about doing more with Starbucks but the respect and dignity for employees is a joke. We are just slaves and money makers for the higher ups and .

[writer_nw]

Waa! Waa! It's hard! Waa! Waa!

Go cry me a river.

[deusx]

I have a family of four and pay 110 a paycheck. That is Point of Service Medical, dental and vision. That also is life insurance, death and dismemberment, long term and short term disability. I have a 401k, I have stock options. I am given vacation time, sick leave and holiday pay.
At one time I worked for a drugstore which I believe was unionized by the very thugs attempting to unionize starbucks now. We were paid 6.50 an hour, and couldn't get health benefits unless we worked 35 hours a week and had been there 6 months. The healthcare for a family of four was 235 dollars a pay check and that didnt include vision
or any of the life insurance benefits. There wasn't a 401k, there wasn't a realistic stock plan...but hey there was at least paid vacation which maxed out at 2 weeks a year. The union took out 28 dollars of every paycheck. They couldn't guaruntee I wouldn't be laid off, they couldn't guaruntee anything. And if our contract came up and there was issues, I was forced to stop working and go on strike. BTW for you wannabee unionists, who supports you while you are forced to not work? Have you asked? Not the union. You get a stipend, which is less than unemployment. Think twice before trusting the unions.

[writer_nw]

Deusx...You nailed it.

[Starbucks Douchebag]

uhm -- I think that we Starbucks baristas should get paid, like, uhm, $50/hr --- actually, $100/hr is better. And, uhm, we shouldn't have to work on any days of the week that have the letter 'y' in it. Oh yeah, and I wanna wear ripped jeans, my 'Fuck W!' hipster t-shirt so I can adequately express my really cool, funky personality -- b/c Starbucks oppresses me and I think people should only drink fair trade coffee and mochas should be illegal cuz they're not really coffee.

GO UNION!

[NYC*$partner]

I have worked in Seattle and now work in New York as both a barista and a shift supervisor. I have worked at the 4 busiest stores in the company, University village, colombia center, astor place and 87th & Lexington, I cant believe the complaints about "hard" "demanding" work from some of these employees? I worked summers on a wheat farm in eastern Washington growing up. These lazy, first world, urban/suburban-ites seem to demonstrate a real lack of "hard work" experience. Starbucks work is NOT physically demanding, it is NOT dangerous, It is NOT hard work!!!(unless maybe you are overweight, out of shape and used to a Mcdonalds and couch potatoe/television lifestyle or suffering some type of disability).
These employees (i will not call them partners) should join the migrant farmers in Ellensberg or Pasco and try picking and packing apples for just ONE day, and get a real taste of hard work!

"The least of the work of learning is done in the classroom"
-Thomas Merton