I stopped patronizing Starbucks after they sent me a disgusting reply to my plea to stop union busting. I will never buy from them again. I also canceled my Amazon Prime account. These are small things we can do to help.
What is so hard for management at Starbucks to understand about their 'partners' wanting better pay: a liveable wage? It's insulting to say that they are progressive and will 'support' LGBTQ, Black Lives Matter' people of color etc etc when what they are showing is that they are equal opportunity exploiters, and their big bucks in their own pockets are what they care about most.
More and more we're hearing about the plight of the real people who make America run... The Kroger's and Starbuck's and Walmart and other similar type workers struggling to survive while their CEO's and upper management, as well as stockholders, thrive. Government can take the lead on helping these people by upping levels of income considered to be poverty, middle class, etc and basing support programs on those higher levels. The numbers are way behind the times of actual costs to live. The "poverty" level of annual income for a family of four averages about $27K/year in 2022. Are you kidding me? That should be the poverty level for a single person living alone. Poverty level, to still receive some government help, for a family of four should be around $35K/year. The minimum wage needs to be raised to at least $15/hour but in some cities, that's still too low because of increased costs.
A thought: If the population of this country were composed of 330 million corporate CEOs, it wouldn't function very well.
So many of the companies that boast of being "job creators" may more accurately be characterized as slave creators. Along this line, Starbucks' union busting efforts don't seem to be about money, since flooding their stores with managers to intimidate baristas means paying extra wages. If Starbucks wants to continue to oppose unions, manager-intimidator will be a long-term position. It may be more about power, the power to trample on the most vulnerable. Corporate leadership recognizes that workers' organizing gives the workers power that might approach their own. I guess they cannot tolerate that idea.
Much of the population of this country have apparently been indoctrinated with the idea that low-level workers, who are essential to our economy, should be overcome with gratitude to have a job at all, and should eagerly accept whatever crumbs are thrown their way. When you or Bernie Sanders post a tweet about inequality, there are always those who rush to defend the CEOs and other super-wealthy individuals in response. It is inspiring that these young people are working to change the narrative.
Truely inspiring . The energy and drive of these abused workers, if harnessed and brought into the 'fold' for their employers would be directed towards higher profits, a better image for the company and an overall better working environment for both labor and management. May I ask where are Marty Walsh and Joe Biden ? If the Democrats want to show the difference between themselves and their Republican counterparts, issues as such are their golden opportunity. If they want to show themselves as 'The Party of The People'? Where better a stage ? And such issues and the firing of those organizers should be considered as high crimes ! It is the lack of proper government involvement in such an example of blatant corporate greed which once again leads me to the notion of we living under a corptocracy rather than a democracy . 'We the people' has morphed into 'We the corporations'. Until our federal and local laws are adjusted to outlaw ALL corporate political donations, access and control over our elected officials, abuses and such blatant corporate GREED shall go on and on . Unfettered capitalism does not work for 'WE THE PEOPLE'. 👊 🇺🇸👊🇺🇸✊️🇺🇸✊️
While I support the effort to unionize Starbucks and other food service workers and the drive for a $15 per hour minimum wage, I am bothered by the fact that hundreds of thousands of skilled tradesmen jobs go begging every day in the US for lack of trained workers. Most of these jobs pay a living wage of much more than $15 per hour.
Two years ago, I hired a self-employed skilled brick mason to do some brick work for $80 per hour plus travel expenses. He was an immigrant from Mexico. He told me that he wanted to hire an assistant, but was unable to find anyone who wanted to do the work or make the effort to learn how. IMHO, there seems to be a stigma against doing work with your hands vice sitting in an office pushing paper.
We have plenty of CEOs, lawyers, administrators, financial advisors, TV talking heads. We need more people who can actually make stuff and be well paid for doing so. The Republicans aren't going to do anything about this problem. It would be nice to see the Democrats propose some ideas on how to solve it.
So grateful for these food service workers! So much sacrifice and effort is going into this and so much more to do. My heart is with them. I would like to know whatever I can do to help.
"That without the occasional revolution democracy dies." The corptocracy, it's greed,gluttony,envy,sloth,hatred,pride and wrath which we live under has all but dismantled our democracy. God love these union organizers and their first step in a long overdue revolution. How about we as Americans join together and boycott Starbutts ? We need no violence. Believe me, but be aware that the corporately planned stirring of violence by the mis and dis information reigned down on us by the corporately owned and corrupted fourth estate awaits us in the wings . Such are the outcomes of our allowances of the likes of Trump and his duped followers. The oligarchy and the facistic nature of he and his. The average American has far more in common with these Starbucks employees than we realize. We NEED a Ghandiesk revolution. Organized mass product and service boycotts aimed at the perpetrators of these atrocities. They have no problem getting into your pocket ! Time to turn it around and hit them in theirs ! IT IS TIME TO WAKE UP AMERICA ! See our nation for what WE allow it to become ! ! BOYCOTT STARBUCKS ! ! Boycott them today ! !
I'm going to urge my former Carpenters' union to support the unionizing of Starbucks. I'd also like to congratulate these wonderful women, Jaz, Rachel and Michele. If I had a daughter like them (I have no children) I'd be infinitely proud!
This does give me hope! At least these kids understand history! I don’t think they are getting the majority of their information from schools but perhaps their history teachers are liberals! The right wing is attempting to stamp out dissent by leaving out whole chunks of history! Howard Zinn’s history should be required reading for even these baristas! Perhaps the oral tradition is teaching these kids! You go baristas!!!
Inspired and inspiring! And while we’re at it- why is $15 an hour considered a good wage. Shouldn’t it be at least $30 and why is 8 hours considered a working day. Why not 6- seems more reasonable given human capabilities.
Thanks. I've already "voted with my feet" regarding Starbucks except that I'm already too cheap to go to coffee shops much. We don't have a Krogers near me. Many retailers have both macro and micro monopoly/oligopoly powers especially over those with less economic resources and mobility. Can you recommend any app or other good compilation of businesses to boycott as possible on grounds of worker exploitation and other ESG type criteria? If not, that seems like a great opportunity for a non-profit or for-profit.
On a somewhat related note, what do you think about any doable road to replacing required/incentivized employer-paid healthcare, which can limit worker power and mobility and be gamed, while not having this be replaced by a worse system.
I stopped patronizing Starbucks after they sent me a disgusting reply to my plea to stop union busting. I will never buy from them again. I also canceled my Amazon Prime account. These are small things we can do to help.
What is so hard for management at Starbucks to understand about their 'partners' wanting better pay: a liveable wage? It's insulting to say that they are progressive and will 'support' LGBTQ, Black Lives Matter' people of color etc etc when what they are showing is that they are equal opportunity exploiters, and their big bucks in their own pockets are what they care about most.
More and more we're hearing about the plight of the real people who make America run... The Kroger's and Starbuck's and Walmart and other similar type workers struggling to survive while their CEO's and upper management, as well as stockholders, thrive. Government can take the lead on helping these people by upping levels of income considered to be poverty, middle class, etc and basing support programs on those higher levels. The numbers are way behind the times of actual costs to live. The "poverty" level of annual income for a family of four averages about $27K/year in 2022. Are you kidding me? That should be the poverty level for a single person living alone. Poverty level, to still receive some government help, for a family of four should be around $35K/year. The minimum wage needs to be raised to at least $15/hour but in some cities, that's still too low because of increased costs.
The New York Times has an excellent feature on one of these baristas who is also a Rhodes scholar. Read that as well! There are many inspiring young people from ages 2-3 up. They give me hope See also https://columbusfreepress.com/article/busting-myths-us-and-canada-confronting-past-present
A thought: If the population of this country were composed of 330 million corporate CEOs, it wouldn't function very well.
So many of the companies that boast of being "job creators" may more accurately be characterized as slave creators. Along this line, Starbucks' union busting efforts don't seem to be about money, since flooding their stores with managers to intimidate baristas means paying extra wages. If Starbucks wants to continue to oppose unions, manager-intimidator will be a long-term position. It may be more about power, the power to trample on the most vulnerable. Corporate leadership recognizes that workers' organizing gives the workers power that might approach their own. I guess they cannot tolerate that idea.
Much of the population of this country have apparently been indoctrinated with the idea that low-level workers, who are essential to our economy, should be overcome with gratitude to have a job at all, and should eagerly accept whatever crumbs are thrown their way. When you or Bernie Sanders post a tweet about inequality, there are always those who rush to defend the CEOs and other super-wealthy individuals in response. It is inspiring that these young people are working to change the narrative.
Truely inspiring . The energy and drive of these abused workers, if harnessed and brought into the 'fold' for their employers would be directed towards higher profits, a better image for the company and an overall better working environment for both labor and management. May I ask where are Marty Walsh and Joe Biden ? If the Democrats want to show the difference between themselves and their Republican counterparts, issues as such are their golden opportunity. If they want to show themselves as 'The Party of The People'? Where better a stage ? And such issues and the firing of those organizers should be considered as high crimes ! It is the lack of proper government involvement in such an example of blatant corporate greed which once again leads me to the notion of we living under a corptocracy rather than a democracy . 'We the people' has morphed into 'We the corporations'. Until our federal and local laws are adjusted to outlaw ALL corporate political donations, access and control over our elected officials, abuses and such blatant corporate GREED shall go on and on . Unfettered capitalism does not work for 'WE THE PEOPLE'. 👊 🇺🇸👊🇺🇸✊️🇺🇸✊️
Someone complained that Kroger only netted .75 % in earnings. It amounts to 2.7 billion. I think there is more wiggle room than Kroger claims
While I support the effort to unionize Starbucks and other food service workers and the drive for a $15 per hour minimum wage, I am bothered by the fact that hundreds of thousands of skilled tradesmen jobs go begging every day in the US for lack of trained workers. Most of these jobs pay a living wage of much more than $15 per hour.
Two years ago, I hired a self-employed skilled brick mason to do some brick work for $80 per hour plus travel expenses. He was an immigrant from Mexico. He told me that he wanted to hire an assistant, but was unable to find anyone who wanted to do the work or make the effort to learn how. IMHO, there seems to be a stigma against doing work with your hands vice sitting in an office pushing paper.
We have plenty of CEOs, lawyers, administrators, financial advisors, TV talking heads. We need more people who can actually make stuff and be well paid for doing so. The Republicans aren't going to do anything about this problem. It would be nice to see the Democrats propose some ideas on how to solve it.
So grateful for these food service workers! So much sacrifice and effort is going into this and so much more to do. My heart is with them. I would like to know whatever I can do to help.
How about Thomas Jefferson's notion,
"That without the occasional revolution democracy dies." The corptocracy, it's greed,gluttony,envy,sloth,hatred,pride and wrath which we live under has all but dismantled our democracy. God love these union organizers and their first step in a long overdue revolution. How about we as Americans join together and boycott Starbutts ? We need no violence. Believe me, but be aware that the corporately planned stirring of violence by the mis and dis information reigned down on us by the corporately owned and corrupted fourth estate awaits us in the wings . Such are the outcomes of our allowances of the likes of Trump and his duped followers. The oligarchy and the facistic nature of he and his. The average American has far more in common with these Starbucks employees than we realize. We NEED a Ghandiesk revolution. Organized mass product and service boycotts aimed at the perpetrators of these atrocities. They have no problem getting into your pocket ! Time to turn it around and hit them in theirs ! IT IS TIME TO WAKE UP AMERICA ! See our nation for what WE allow it to become ! ! BOYCOTT STARBUCKS ! ! Boycott them today ! !
I'm going to urge my former Carpenters' union to support the unionizing of Starbucks. I'd also like to congratulate these wonderful women, Jaz, Rachel and Michele. If I had a daughter like them (I have no children) I'd be infinitely proud!
This does give me hope! At least these kids understand history! I don’t think they are getting the majority of their information from schools but perhaps their history teachers are liberals! The right wing is attempting to stamp out dissent by leaving out whole chunks of history! Howard Zinn’s history should be required reading for even these baristas! Perhaps the oral tradition is teaching these kids! You go baristas!!!
Inspired and inspiring! And while we’re at it- why is $15 an hour considered a good wage. Shouldn’t it be at least $30 and why is 8 hours considered a working day. Why not 6- seems more reasonable given human capabilities.
Thanks for high-lighting this current labor effort. Oh, to get back to the 1960s level of labor clout!
Thanks. I've already "voted with my feet" regarding Starbucks except that I'm already too cheap to go to coffee shops much. We don't have a Krogers near me. Many retailers have both macro and micro monopoly/oligopoly powers especially over those with less economic resources and mobility. Can you recommend any app or other good compilation of businesses to boycott as possible on grounds of worker exploitation and other ESG type criteria? If not, that seems like a great opportunity for a non-profit or for-profit.
On a somewhat related note, what do you think about any doable road to replacing required/incentivized employer-paid healthcare, which can limit worker power and mobility and be gamed, while not having this be replaced by a worse system.
I disagree so Robert filters me out. Pretty sick stuff