Posted on 06/06/2022 2:14:48 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Workers allege the action is retaliatory, but the chain says closures are "a regular part of our operations."
With thousands of locations nationwide, a single Starbucks closing typically isn't national news. But at a time when the coffee chain is dealing with a major unionization push from employees — and being accused of potentially illegal anti-union behavior in the process — the announcement that Starbucks is shuttering a unionized store in Ithaca, New York, is grabbing a lot of attention.
Starbucks Workers United, the national group behind Starbucks employees' unionization efforts, said they would once again be filing an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board after the chain announced plans to close the location on College Avenue which voted to unionize along with two other Starbucks locations in the city back in April. The union explains that this location was the first in the U.S. to vote to unionize and thus labeled the decision to close the store — with just one week's notice, no less — a "clear attempt to scare workers across the country by retaliating against its own employees."
Employees at the store went on strike in April due to an overflowing grease trap, according to the union, and Starbucks cited the grease trap as the reason for the closure. "We went on strike over our broken grease trap (which has been an issue for years) and now they're claiming that our store needs to close permanently because of it," employee Nadia Vitek stated. "Seems like blatant and illegal retaliation."
"When asked if we would still have jobs come June 10th, we were simply told that 'Starbucks would bargain in good faith," added Benjamin South, who has worked at the store for over three years. "This is clearly retaliation for our small grasps at dignity as workers, but our strike showed them what power we have."
For its part, Starbucks has also accused Workers United of illegal behavior. And when asked about the Ithaca closure, the chain described the choice as business as usual. "We open and close stores as a regular part of our operations," a Starbucks spokesperson told Food & Wine in an emailed statement. "Our local, regional, and national leaders have been working with humility, deep care, and urgency to create the kind of store environment that partners and customers expect of Starbucks." They further added that, "Our goal is to ensure that every partner is supported in their individual situation, and we have immediate opportunities available in the market."
Meanwhile, one of the key figures at the heart of Starbucks' anti-union push has been former CEO Howard Schultz who returned to the company as interim CEO after Kevin Johnson announced his retirement earlier this year. Interestingly, just today, Starbucks released a statement affirming that the chain was on track to identify a full-time successor to replace him as CEO "in the coming months" and that Schultz would remain as interim CEO until early next year to ensure "a seamless transition and continuity of leadership through the 2022 holiday season."
Additionally, in a story published today in the Wall Street Journal, Schultz explained what Starbucks was looking for: "For the future of the company, we need a domain of experience and expertise in a number of disciplines that we don't have now," he was quoted as saying. "It requires a different type of leader."
What is sad and pathetic about these situations - Unions were famously against illegal migration for decades, for reasons that are obvious to everyone, except perhaps those advocating for Starbucks to unionize their stores today.
50 million illegal aliens is going to leave a hell of a mark on your standard of living, wages, health care, quality of life, environmental degradation, pressures on infrastructure, pollution, retirement.
They’ve been worked over and guilt tripped so thoroughly, they have no rational or coherent skill set from which to view their environment. Minimum wage would be $35 an hour right now, or near enough. No union negotiators necessary.
Oops
The owner of a machine shop I worked at had a standing offer: “unionize, and I sell the machines and close the shop.”
Took the same path. An awful lot of the destruction wrought on the US has come at the hands of the C-Suite class that has outsourced production, transferred US tech overseas, gutted companies like Boeing and GE of the core competencies and used the resulting short-term gains to plump their own wallets while fleecing investors. Unions simply add some counterbalance. The country was much better off when a higher share of the national income went to labor instead of capital.
“Starbucks”.
I don’t go places were you are expected to tip for counter service.
McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Wawa — all have passable coffee. Certainly better than Starbucks
Sorry they are closing it, but it’s not a very good location. Parking not good in that area.
Blue-Collar Union workers (not the Union Management) were the backbone of Reagan’s support.
haven’t been to one in more than FIVE years. It’s not only they’re WOKE, their coffee sucks and overpriced as hell. I asked one of our employees and she said the smallest coffee is $4.50, which is a rip-off.
These kids are stupid.
“Too many baristas chasing too few $6 Frappuccinos these days.”
I don’t even want to know that dumb drek is. My stomach gets upset when I see what goes into a frou frou Starbucks latte, and no, I have never consumed one, never will.
This legal complaint would suggest that Starbucks is required to keep that unit open permanently if they prevail. That’s obviously ludicrous.
I will tell you I have worked at places where the unions came in and the employees lost a whole lot. They realized it a year in and it took them years to kick the union out.
The woke company doesn’t like woke actions I see.
AGREED
AGREED
ORGANIZED PARASITES
AMEN
That is what state Labor Boards are for.
HaHaHaHahaHa! What a hoot. How ‘bout dem “unions”? This is “historic!”
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