| Ryan Feyre
rfeyre@thereminder.com
Category:
NORTHAMPTON — A nationwide campaign to prevent Starbucks’ recent attempts at union busting reached Northampton early morning on Aug. 7.
The Western Mass. Area Labor Federation, a coalition of over 60 public and private sector unions, spearheaded a local “Adopt-a-Store” day of action at the Northampton Starbucks on 303 King St. to spread the word about how the multi-billion dollar company is not living up to its progressive ideals.
All across the country, Starbucks employees are experiencing pushback for unionizing, according to Ian Rhodewalt, a field organizer from the Western Mass. Area Labor Federation. As a result, around 200 Starbucks locations around the country conducted this day of action to educate customers about efforts to unionize, while workers and organizers from the Starbucks Workers United continue to ask for better pay, benefits and working conditions.
The general hope is that Starbucks and the union can reach a new contract.
“Customers and allies are standing with Starbucks workers in a new way and demanding that Starbucks respect workers’ right to organize and bargain a contract in good faith,” said Casey Moore, a representative from the Starbucks Workers United. “The National Day of Action on [Aug. 7] was just the start and supporters will continue escalating their demands throughout the fall.”
According to Phoebe Rogers, another representative from the Starbucks union, more than 8,000 Starbucks workers have unionized since December 2021with hopes of bargaining for a fairer contract. An event like the one in Northampton is just the start. “The purpose of the event was to campaign on the part of Starbucks Workers United,” Rhodewalt said, of the Aug. 7 meeting. “Getting customers to talk to other outside of stores that have not unionized.”
According to Rhodewalt, the Gardner Starbucks is so far the furthest west in the state where a store has unionized. Meanwhile, in all, 300 of the 9,000 locations across the country have voted to unionize.
In an interview with Reminder Publishing, Rhodewalt said Starbucks has violated labor law more than 200 times in attempts to union bust. Specifically, they have fired workers looking to unionize and even shut down stores that have voted to unionize.
By bringing awareness to this situation, however, the hope is that Starbucks Workers United can work out a new contract with the organization, and Rhodewalt said the Western Mass. Area Labor Federation will help the union as best they can.
“We will follow the lead of Starbucks Workers United and connect any Starbucks workers with the union if they are interested in organizing,” Rhodeswalt said.
In general, Rhodeswalt said the Western Mass. Area Labor Federation will continue to offer organizing and union workshops for anyone interested.
Also in attendance for the event were people from Springfield No One Leaves, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, Trader Joe’s United, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the Labor Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Graduate Employee Organization, the River Valley Democratic Socialists of America and Massachusetts Jobs with Justice.
“Workers sent the message that they won’t let up until Starbucks ends its union busting tactics and starts respecting worker rights,” Rogers said.