Starbucks workers at seven Vancouver stores leave the union

The Canadian Auto Workers Union began organizing Vancouver Starbucks stores in 1996 and represented 12 stores and about 150 workers at one point. But a union official says says those numbers were never big enough to give it real clout when negotiating with the company. (Vancouver Sun)

Comments

[Remain Anon]

Wow...as someone who was involved in the original process to bring Vancouver Starbucks into the CAW, I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did, but it's really to bad that it didnt work out. I still dont undertand why Starbucks is so violently anti-union...Howard loves to talk about how his family suffered in poverty due to lack of a social net...
Back then at least, the CAW was still far less corrupt than Starbucks( cant speak for them now...)and partners still need protection at least as far as scheduling goes...It's too bad...PS I KNOW that unions are a hot topic and EVERYONE has a really strong opinion...

[BURRISTA]

I am a barista at one of the recently de-unionized Vancouver stores. The results of the poll were strongly in favour of decertification from the union.

Most of the partners I have spoken to left mainly due to the heavy union fees that were deducted from our paychecks... That would have been okay, except we didn't see the CAW really actively doing anything for us. Now that we're no longer represented by the union, it'll be interesting to see if anything changes (i.e. scheduling, benefits, etc.).

[euro barista]

i used to go into the one on hastings all the time... the only way i could distinguish a "unionised" starbucks from the others was by what the baristas were wearing - pretty much whatever they wanted!!
i'd be interested to know any other significant differences...

I didn't even know Starbucks Vancouver had unions.

[Tim]

The world is uniting against the workers! I love it! :P

i don't think starbucks is anti-union.

i think that howie believes that if communication is good, and people are decent then a union is unnecessary; he's set up his company with the worker in mind, and if a third party is needed to negotiate for the entry level positions, that means he's failed...
that's not the same thing as being anti-union.

[CoffeeMaker]

Union portray all employers as evil to convince workers that they NEED a union. I think Howard took offense to that idea.

...and what is it Starbucks partners need a union for? The labor guidelines here in the states reflect the most limiting state laws, and the benefits are unquestionably progressive.

[SeattleInvestor]

The biggest problem is that the union gets into the middle of operations. It sits between management and the workers, and really slows down how the business can respond to market conditions. Look at what has happened to the US auto industry.

All the prattling on about "justice" etc, is crap if you sink the company. The only "justice" you get is what you earn in the market. Some people will argue that its a problem when you have non-union places competing against union places (if you listen to the UAW;-), and the "solution" is to make the whole country union. Well it did not work in russia, china is backing off, and socialist republics such as france are re-thinking. (Watch the french elections today ;-)

[Jessica]

do these unionized starbucks in vancouver still exist?

[crowdSPRING]

It sits between management and the workers, and really slows down how the business can respond to market conditions.

[Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat]

CAW representative John Bowman said that, union began organizing Vancouver Starbucks stores in 1996 and represented 12 stores and about 150 workers at one point.