The rank-and-file effort to unionize Starbucks stores around the United States is one of the most head-spinningly historic worker-led movements in our generation. Since the Elmwood Avenue store in Buffalo, New York, made history by becoming the first location to unionize in December of 2021, around 250 Starbucks locations have filed for union elections, and the overwhelming majority of stores that have already held elections voted in favor of unionizing. Even in the face of intense opposition from corporate executives and upper-level managers at one of the most powerful companies in the world, and working within the incredibly restrictive confines of US labor law, partners organizing with Starbucks Workers United keep racking up wins. TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez sits down with Arianna Ayala, a Starbucks partner and member of the organizing committee at her store in New York City, which recently filed for a union election, to talk about her own experience working at Starbucks during the COVID-19 pandemic, why she and her fellow partners took that fateful step to organize, and why they, like Starbucks partners around the country, believe that a unionized workforce will make Starbucks a better company.
Read the transcript of this video: https://therealnews.com/the-historic-youthful-rank-and-file-movement-to-unionize-starbucks
Pre-Production/Studio: Thomas Hedges
Post-Production: Cameron Granadino
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** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
Starbucks is already giving hella good raises, and they're lenient as hell and the workers get away with a ton. These days I can't tell the difference between legit causes or self socialist like entitlement, getting more for doing less.
My guess is the latter. Guess what ultra leniency does. Bad service. Guess what higher pay does. Makes the drinks more expensive.
Fuck Starbucks!! Good on the workers for UNIONIZING!!!
Awesome guest!!
Satanic symbol on logo sick i wont buy thier shit no more
Yuopick sides based on color and yer my property
fats waller
Let the feeding frenzy begin. I love my keurig.
Workers /taxpayers need more recognition and appreciation
Amazing, you need to be in a union to make coffee . Smdh
Bravo ! Excellent !
Well welcome to the world a fast fucking food they don’t give a shit hit your labor hit your food cost that’s all corporate cares about numbers, you are a number to them that’s all it won’t change as long as the money keeps rolling in
Good for the employees! If Starbucks can pay a ceo 60 million, they can afford to pay a living wage!
Solidarity is the way to a more perfect union.
I love this.. I want to join in
partner, associate, whatever euphemism they can use to distract us from the reality of the class divide between working class and capitalist class…
they do not want the working class to identify with the reality of being working class because if we did we could organize along those lines, which is exactly what they are terrified of.
That is going to mean higher prices of already over priced crappy tasting coffee. Screw that I buy my coffee at McDonald’s and spend Starbucks money on ammo. Oh, Yee suckers!
UNIONS CAN BECOME ""CORRUPT AS FUCK" ASWELL,!!!!
I have worked both union amd nonunion and the pay and conditions have always been better working union.
Crazy, and very sad, to me that so many Americans are anti union. It’s like being anti democracy because you don’t trust yourself, and your neighbors, to do the right thing. Even with extremely limited power. I remember watching some anti union videos at Walmart when I was teen, even then, in my teenage brain that was barely paying attention, I could tell what bullshit it was. “Unions were once an acceptable thing, but over the years oligarchs have become godly, perfect in our ways, no longer necessitating vigilance from our peasantsâ€. I know I’m being a bit hyperbolic, but that’s what their take in general really was underneath all the condescension. Also sucks they've effectively convinced a large portion of the population that everyone working for the same monopoly, making less than enough to survive, let alone engage in the marketplace, is "capitalism". People like Roosevelt's well intentioned minimum wage, that was good for the entire economy, as well as it's people, was essential to the essence of a free market. And now he's viewed as a commie… And would be working the hunting section of Walmart if he were still alive.
Thank you very much for your leadership. Corn's a-poppin'! And respect is a human right.
SOLIDARITY!
CORPORATION MUST SHARE EQUAL VOTES AMONG THE Stockholders & THE UNION!
….. WE WILL NOT BE REPLACED …. <<— sound familiar?
So proud of these young workers who are responsible for possibly the only GOOD news of 2022. This gives me hope and I plan on devoting all and any energy I would have devoted towards electoral politics, on supporting this wave of unionization. This is our hope for the future, it’s not in elections.
The service has gone down significantly since I worked there over twenty years ago. This will only serve to worsen customer service.
Worked at Starbucks for 9 years….fuck Starbucks. They ever so graciously rewarded my hard work with a $2 raise over that time span.
Unionize the fuck out of that punk ass, exploiting corporate ghoul.
Solidarity and all power to the people.
I'm not sure people understand the reasons SBUX employees want a union; SBUX has been touted as a cutting edge employer, paying decent wages and benefits. Share holders want to keep their illusions going…clarity is needed. Thanks for this interview.
We had unionized Starbucks in Canada back in the 90's, it didn't really accomplish anything. They chose the Canadian Auto Workers as the union to represent them which might have been the problem.
Unions are just as vulnerable to corruption and undermining of union members
Despite the unions, violated employees still had to resort to LAWSUITS and the COURTS for protection and/or settlements.