Starbucks workers hold strikes in at least 17 states amid union drive
Workers at Starbucks have held over 55 different strikes in at least 17 states in the US in recent months over the company’s aggressive opposition to a wave of unionization.
According to an estimate by Starbucks Workers United, the strikes have cost Starbucks over $375,000 in lost revenue. The union created a $1m strike fund in June 2022 to support Starbucks workers through their strikes and several relief funds have been established for strikes and to support workers who have lost their jobs.
Starbucks employees have alleged over 75 workers have been fired in retaliation for union organizing this year, and hundreds of allegations of misconduct by Starbucks related to the union campaign are currently under review at the National Labor Relations Board, including claims of shutting down stores to bust unions, firing workers and intimidating and threatening workers from unionizing. Starbucks has denied all allegations.
More than 200 Starbucks stores around the US have won their union votes, with dozens of stores currently waiting for their election votes.
Sam Amato worked at Starbucks for 13 years in Buffalo, New York, before he was terminated on 5 August, a decision he argues is retaliatory for his strong support for unionization at his store and other Starbucks locations around the US.
He first became involved in the union organizing efforts in the Buffalo area in August 2021 as the first Starbucks stores in the US and his own store won their union election in early 2022.
In June, Amato and his co-workers were transferred to different stores while their own store underwent remodeling, where he said workers were heavily scrutinized by the store manager through disciplinary actions and write-ups.
“My store manager pulled me aside
Read more on theguardian.com
