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Washington DC – Baristas at Starbucks continue to organize stores coast-to-coast. They are demanding increases in pay, staffing issues to be addressed, and union contracts to be completed.
Over 500 stores have been union organized nationally. Workers at 23 stores filed NLRB petitions in February, including in San Diego, Chicago and New York City.
“It really feels incredible for our store to join this movement officially,” said Amara Whitfield a barista of one and a half years in Bettendorf. “Unions are one of the most powerful tools that working class people have access to, and it feels good for me to upgrade from ‘member of a union household’ to ‘member of a workers union.’”
College students across the country are rallying behind baristas in every part of the country. Students representing 10 campuses across the country were in motion last week to demand their universities condemn Starbucks’ failure to finalize fair contracts that value baristas’ contributions. “Students Against Starbucks” echoed from coast-to-coast at Cascadia College, Georgia Tech, Miami University, New York University, University of Oklahoma, University of Texas at Austin, University of Washington – Seattle, University of Washington – Bothell, University of Wisconsin – Madison, and University of Delaware.
Heat on the coffee giant has echoed past the U.S. border. A recent report by advocate monitors has revealing Starbucks’ Mexican-certified coffee supply chain is plagued by human rights violations, negative environmental impacts, and exploitative practices that trap small producers in Mexico in a cycle of extreme poverty.
