Bernie Sanders Takes A Stance On Starbucks Employees’ Union Drive
Rich Koele/Shutterstock By Elaina Friedman/March 10, 2022 12:58 pm EST
Starbucks and its employees have had their fair share of differences over the years, and many scandals have hit Starbucks since it opened in 1971. However, no conflict has been quite as drawn out as the coffee chain’s opposition to its workers’ recent unionization efforts in stores across the country. Seven Starbucks employees in Memphis, Tennessee, were fired last month for actions tied to unionization, which prompted Starbucks Workers United (an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union) to accuse the company of union busting. The firings occurred just a couple of months after a Starbucks store in Buffalo, New York, became the first of the chain’s 9,000 U.S. locations to vote to unionize — a move that inspired Starbucks workers in over 20 states to also file for union recognition, reports The Washington Post.
After Starbucks fired another union leader in Buffalo this week, NPR reports that three more locations in the city have voted to jump on the union train. In a tweet posted yesterday evening, Senator Bernie Sanders expressed his support of Starbucks employees’ union drive.
Bernie Sanders Takes A Stance On Starbucks Employees’ Union Drive
Rich Koele/Shutterstock
By Elaina Friedman/March 10, 2022 12:58 pm EST
Starbucks and its employees have had their fair share of differences over the years, and many scandals have hit Starbucks since it opened in 1971. However, no conflict has been quite as drawn out as the coffee chain’s opposition to its workers’ recent unionization efforts in stores across the country. Seven Starbucks employees in Memphis, Tennessee, were fired last month for actions tied to unionization, which prompted Starbucks Workers United (an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union) to accuse the company of union busting. The firings occurred just a couple of months after a Starbucks store in Buffalo, New York, became the first of the chain’s 9,000 U.S. locations to vote to unionize — a move that inspired Starbucks workers in over 20 states to also file for union recognition, reports The Washington Post.
After Starbucks fired another union leader in Buffalo this week, NPR reports that three more locations in the city have voted to jump on the union train. In a tweet posted yesterday evening, Senator Bernie Sanders expressed his support of Starbucks employees’ union drive.
After Starbucks fired another union leader in Buffalo this week, NPR reports that three more locations in the city have voted to jump on the union train. In a tweet posted yesterday evening, Senator Bernie Sanders expressed his support of Starbucks employees’ union drive.
Sanders says Starbucks should end union busting
Toshio Chan/Shutterstock
Sanders’ YouTube channel features a town hall video centering the union drive, which opens with a string of interviews with Starbucks employees who support unionization. For many workers, unionization brings the promise of financial security. One Starbucks employee who works three jobs told The Washington Post, “With a pay raise that’s actually significant, that can actually ensure that people only need one job to survive — that would be incredible.” Other employees are drawn to the possibility of improved health benefits. In a response to a commenter on Sanders’ tweet, Starbucks Workers United confirmed that Starbucks unions support Medicare for All.
