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109 Comments
- paintballs, on 05/19/2009, -10/+52All I can say is that a happy well treated and respected employee does not need a union.
- reelectnoone, on 05/19/2009, -6/+37Wal Mart and Starbucks are not alone. For years companies have been avoiding a decent wage by only offering more people fewer hours to avoid better pay and health care. This means most of their jobs cannot support a family and people wind up with several part time jobs just to make ends meet and still can't afford health care. These corporations are supported by the same republicans in congress who want to block laws to allow easier unionization and also don't want a universal health care. People who vote for these nut cases are voting to ruin their own lives ! I can't understand how these voters can fall for the same trick year after year !!
- Jackson0909, on 05/20/2009, -4/+33"The average Barista makes $7.75 per hour"
They make freaking coffee and run a cash register. What do you expect? These people want a union so they can inflate their hourly wage to a unwarranted level.
Don't like working at Starbucks? Get another job. - DiomedesTydeus, on 05/20/2009, -1/+24Except Starbucks has made the Fortune best places to work (and they're not talking about management):
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompani ...
Back in college, every single one of my theater friends worked part time at starbucks because theater didn't pay benefits and Starbucks had a great package. Comparing them to walmart which not only underpays their employees but destroys small towns is a bit much I think. - morequestions, on 05/19/2009, -7/+27True. Unions are needed when companies exploit and otherwise treat their workers like dirt. If they had respect for and offered decent pay workers would not feel the need to join a union.
- WheezyMustafa, on 05/20/2009, -1/+19***** unions -- I'm sorry but these people are working at a coffee shop. You can't expect to make $16/hour to make a ***** cup of coffee. Unions have pretty much been worthless since the earlier 1900s.
- Jacare, on 05/20/2009, -3/+20your joking right? in canada, for what your required to do starbucks is one of the best companies(in that wage bracket) you can work for. couple bucks more than min wage + super benefits(dental and healthcare - free prescriptions and i think they even cover some orthodontic work). this is just a greedy union, you make coffee for crying out loud.
- HolyJaw, on 05/20/2009, -3/+15I love the fact that a few people were interviewed for this and suddenly it's a huge deal. You don't need to ***** unionize to work for goddamn Starbucks. They pay above minimum wage, have great benefits, and follow strict corporate structural rules to keep workers goddamn happy. Get over it. This is stupid. Buried.
- txmorgan, on 05/20/2009, -1/+12So "brave new films" interviewed three Starbucks who got fired for undisclosed reasons and now there's a conspiracy? Sounds like they should have just been doing their jobs.. I'll have a Grande Non-fat Latte to go please.
- morequestions, on 05/19/2009, -3/+12If they could find a way, I am sure WalMart and Starbucks etc. would do away with all American workers and farm it all out to China or India...perhaps Chinese built robots in American Stores so they can send all of the cash to China and to the Walton's personal vaults.
A local politician told me that WalMart has a habit of contesting local property taxes then not paying them at all while holding their "protest" up in courts. Since they often are in small towns who don't have the cash for litigation, those towns are stuck with supplying police, fire, schools and other services while collecting no property taxes.
Small local businesses sometimes shut down because they can't compete so they also are not paying taxes or wages any more. WalMart contributes to the very local depressions that then force people to shop there in order to cut corners. - slappy83, on 05/20/2009, -3/+12***** Unions
- ThraxyWaxy, on 05/20/2009, -0/+8Barista's make about $12 an hour here in Canada, which is ***** OBSCENE considering people make minimum wage ($8) at Mcdonalds or grocery stores where you actually have to do more than listen to people order coffees in latin.
- Pyehole, on 05/20/2009, -3/+10Which is why big businesses only have themselves to blame for labor woes.
- askantik, on 05/20/2009, -1/+8... Unions aren't the reason GM and Chrysler made ***** cars which led to their downfall.
- pradaaddict, on 05/20/2009, -1/+8***** unions. Baristas serving lattes at $12/hr + benefits do not need to unionize. I have NEVER heard of a single employee of Starbucks ever being mistreated.
In my city there are several unionized Starbucks and they aren't allowed to deal with the rest of the Starbucks in the city (trading supplies or staff, management) it creates a huge headache for the rest of the stores in the area and the staff themselves say they would rather not work for the unionized shop, too many rules and regulations that get in the way of just making a goddamn cup of coffee.
Unions are a thing of the past, they were once important but now that Employees have legislated rights there isn't a need for them. Unions are partially to blame for companies like GM going down, Unions are partially to blame for America having the highest cost of labour in the world, and Unions are responsible for keeping Boomers who don't unerstand modern business in their jobs because of seniority rather than skill. - ThreeE, on 05/20/2009, -1/+8Don't like your employer? Quit! Otherwise, get my venti coffee bitch.
- MidnightTide, on 05/20/2009, -1/+7Yes, in some cases it is good to have a union in place. But come on now, honestly - your working for Starbucks making coffee and being a cashier - you think you should be making $20/hr? Go to school, get an education and with a little luck, you will find a half decent paying job. (though government could start making secondary education more affordable - but that is another topic)
- Bagos1, on 05/20/2009, -6/+12Unions are nothing more than an extortion racket.
- HolyJaw, on 05/20/2009, -1/+7Really? Based off this one video?
- FrozenKetchup, on 05/20/2009, -1/+7I thought starbucks workers already get pretty good benefits. I'm in a union and all it does is steal my income with dues and give me a pension which is worthless unless i continue to work for the same company for over 20 years instead of getting employer matching into a 401k that I would get to keep if I switch jobs. It's *****. I can compete with my skills on the open market I don't need someone to hold my hand and watch over me. They are literally taking thousands of dollars away from me.
- webjive81, on 05/20/2009, -1/+7Let's get realistic here people...I'm not typically one to respond this way for something like this, but this is *****' ridiculous.
Starbuck's is one of the only coffee chains that
- offers full health benefits packages
- stock options (even to baristas)
- 6 months paid training
- and the ability to choose a path to move up within the company.
Yes, if an employee wants to move up and make better pay along with stable hours in their future position, they have that option! Besides the fact that almost 600+ Starbuck's closed within the last 6 months, Starbuck's worked to offer relocation to a new store if possible. Where the hell do you find this type of job in this economy?
BTW - McDonald's just launched $110 million marketing campaign to further sever the market share.
...and yes, I happen to know somebody who works for Starbuck's and they enjoy and value their job. Next time you stop in at a Starbuck's ask the person behind the counter what they think of their job at Starbuck's and you may be surprised to see that they don't typically think this way. - bradleyland, on 05/20/2009, -4/+9It's a ***** coffee shop. What the hell do coffee shop employees need a union for? You can't find a competitive job working for another coffee shop down the street? Need protection for your lifestyle commitments that you can only afford on your coffee shop salary?
If there was ever a case that illustrated how unions can be ridiculous and unnecessary, this is it. What exactly does a coffee shop employee deserve for compensation above the federally mandated minimum wage? What limits an employee's options in such a way that they can't use the threat of leaving their job to get what they "need" from their (coffee shop) employer? - joethevoter, on 05/19/2009, -10/+15We need to write to Congress about this...I Did !
--Senators Nelson and Martinez
This is a simple request.
Close the door on special interest groups and vote to support the "Employee Free Choice Act".
It is the people who work for a living who support and elect you. You do not represent the Walton family or other mega-wealthy corporate people who's best interest is served by denying a working wage to Americans. Many of those who oppose this act are the same people who sent jobs to China Mexico, India and elsewhere in order to avoid any expense to help our middle class improve it's quality of life. Since Ronald Reagan was elected, America's workers have been under assault.
WalMart is one ( not the only one ) of the corporations ( world's largest retailer & employer ) who imports a majority of its products from China and who has always practiced some suspect practices regarding it's employees. Few of their US workers have any benefits at all. Most often WalMart chooses to hire only part time in order to avoid a decent working wage for a family and to avoid benefits...yet if you work in a WalMart in China, they are receiving medical coverage!
WalMart has been found to under pay it's state and local taxes, filing suits to delay collections and putting medical care off onto states rather than provide for coverage. They typically offer jobs in areas with marginal work and incomes and then only part time. This leaves most of their "associates" to collect public assistance leaving the tax payers to pick up the tab so they can keep the profits to themselves. WalMart often negotiate tax breaks to support the construction of private enterprise owned by the country's wealthiest family. It also has helped lead to many US households where both parents must hold jobs leading many children to fend for themselves at least part of the day.
This from WalMart's own Chinese web site: "WalMart firmly believes in local procurement. We recognize that by purchasing quality products, we can generate more job opportunities, support local manufacturing and boost economic development." 1 This philosophy apparently does not apply to it's USA operations where they procure almost nothing.
WalMart is not alone but is representative of a problem that has been permitted to continue for too long.
Those companies do not respect a loyal American work force...they respect only the bottom line and personal wealth. No company who treats it's employees with respect and who provides a decent wage has any reason to fear organized labor.
When they try to influence you to support them over the workers in America, they are really asking you to turn your back on American's and give big companies the green light to squeeze our own citizens to the breaking point in favor of corporate profits.
The privilege of doing business in America comes with a moral obligation to do what is good for Americans, not just what is good for the shareholder's profits. Part of that obligation is to honor their employees with a fair and decent wage and safe working conditions. It is only when these corporate giants fail to live up to their moral obligation to America, that workers find they need the protections of a union.
In addition to the support for the Free Choice Act, I also ask you to work for tax dis-incentives to any company who hires abroad so long as there is an American available to do the work.
Stand up for the American worker ! When they earn more they pay more taxes and have more to spend purchasing goods and service. - PersianCowboy, on 05/19/2009, -8/+13Great video exposing Star Bucks' anti union practices.
- yoyar, on 05/20/2009, -2/+7Of course harassment and intimidation are wrong. But the idea that because you work at a corporation that you are somehow entitled to a wage that will support both you and your family is nuts. The wage you get is what the market will bear. If you don't like it, then find a job that will pay you more. To do that, you may have to WORK HARD and climb the ladder. If YOUR decisions in YOUR LIFE have led you to a level where the best you can do is get a job slinging coffee, then that's YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. Stop whining about it.
- askantik, on 05/20/2009, -0/+5Really? I think you haven't been to school enough if you think that. Union representation in some countries, like Sweden, exceeds 90% by the way.
- KOSmurfy, on 05/19/2009, -1/+5Erik Foreman? What a dumbass.
- TheMachine1, on 05/20/2009, -1/+5"If it's such a bad place to work, then go on strike."
The first step is forming a union. - Wheelingdude86, on 05/20/2009, -10/+14Unions are a joke.
- pinchduck, on 05/20/2009, -1/+5Unions work in a seller's market for labor. In a buyer's market, it only causes the employer some short term irritation while he finds non union people who are more hungry for a paycheck. We are in a buyer's market. Good luck with your union activities. If you are a gifted leader, organizer, politician, and negotiator, you may be successful. If you are a guy who wants a union for higher wages, you will fail.
- MicrosoftAccess, on 05/20/2009, -1/+5What is the deal with this entitlement mentality?
- erhanaltay, on 05/20/2009, -6/+10Don't like your job? Quit. We live in a free society. Go open your own coffee shop and set your own rules. A lot of these millionaires (and billionaires) came to this country with nothing and without even knowing a word of English.
Liberty doesn't guarantee equal outcome, only opportunity. If you were born here and know English you're already at an advantage over tens of thousands of Mexicans risking their lives to come here and work below minimum wage. - joethevoter, on 05/19/2009, -8/+11Check this...WalMart treats it's Chinese workers better than their American workers with full time jobs and health care.
Also they pride themselves on supporting "local" business in China, something they don't do in the USA.
"Wal-Mart China persists in local procurement which provides more job opportunities, supports local manufacture industry and promotes local economy. So far, 95% of merchandising sold at Wal-Mart China store are local products by which Wal-Mart has established business relations with nearly 20,000 suppliers."
http://www.wal-martchina.com/english/walmart/index ... - nickeeeast, on 05/20/2009, -0/+3Yes, because Chevron is such a wholesome, and good hearted company... http://chevrontoxico.com/
- inactive, on 05/20/2009, -0/+3Yes, if the company exploits workers and puts profit before people's lives.
- inactive, on 05/20/2009, -0/+3Their coffee sucks. He even states they're not in the coffee business - but to make people happy, soulful, whatever. The employees are good at most of them, but that's a credit to the those people not Schultz. Those fluffy chairs in there smell like sweat and they refuse to clean them. Yuk! As it's been pointed out - Starbucks wouldn't have to use these tactics if their employees were treated fairly. Nor does that billionaire treat the poverty stricken farmers well. Screw the owners! Buy fair trade and frequent the independents - they have better coffee anyway.
- CarlPowerMedia, on 05/19/2009, -13/+16You cannot treat people like this and expect to get away with it - I shall take my business elsewhere until things change for the people who made Starbucks what it is today - its employees!
- blorc, on 05/20/2009, -5/+8I love the ridiculous things people feel they are entitled to just because they work for a company. If you think you're not getting paid enough, then go find another job. Why would you want to work at a place that you claim treats you like ***** anyway?
Why do people feel the government should step in and "protect" them from companies? If it's such a bad place to work, then go on strike. If you all get fired, find new jobs, or wait for them to re-hire you. If they're such a bad company and offering poor pay, benefits, etc. then other people won't scab for them and they'll have to come to some sort of agreement. - fairandtrue, on 05/19/2009, -4/+7i vote with my pocketbook and never give either of these corporations any of my money!
- babar77, on 05/20/2009, -0/+3The government has to get involved because it has to write and enforce the laws that allow unions to form. Unions would exist if it weren't for laws establishing/protecting them. This really isn't any different than the laws that allow you to enter into contracts. Eventually at some level the government has to step in when contracts aren't lived up to by one party.
- tgc1, on 05/20/2009, -2/+5If you saw the working conditions people were forced to tolerate before the concept of a union ever existed you'd ***** your pants.
- cmuska902, on 05/20/2009, -1/+4That's what I said. Got dugg down. That is why I love the Digg crowd.
- Qumahlin, on 05/20/2009, -0/+3Absentmindedjwc...I think your sarcasm detector is broken.
- MushinVin, on 05/20/2009, -1/+4I work at a Walton owned business. I remember watching the training videos they showed us when I was hired and how it was basically a series of anti-union propaganda clips thrown together. There was this black guy in the video who reminded me of Wayne Brady, so the whole time I was watching it I would occasionally let a laugh out (while trying to restrain myself the best I could) while thinking something along the lines of "Is Wayne Brady gonna have to choke a union bitch."
I enjoy my job, but I beleive unions are a freedom that we deserve to have, but I am grateful for the actions the company has taken to make unions not [yet] necessary, as it has made my job considerably more tolerable. - Qumahlin, on 05/20/2009, -0/+2Depending on the union you can typically demand to be relieved and stop paying dues, etc.
I was "forced" into the food workers union back when I was a kid since the grocery store I worked at required it. I actually went to a meeting with my dad. Explained why the union was useless to me and how they essentially stole a sizable chunk of my paycheck with absolutely no benefit to me and they were nice enough to release me from the union, but allow me to keep my job, just had to fill out a few forms acknowledging I was no longer protected by blah blah blah. I was also kindly asked to not talk about what I did with the other workers my age.
I actually didn't tell the other kids, because quite frankly if they were too stupid to stand up and do something about it, I wasn't about to tell them I already did the hard work. - iamdan1, on 05/20/2009, -1/+3There is a reason you usually find students working for starbucks, its a moderatly paid job thats takes no particular talent. They don't need a union.
- Kallius, on 05/20/2009, -0/+2And you get tips on top of your wage.
- le0pardess, on 05/20/2009, -1/+3Struck a chord with you and your high school job? Get a grip kid. With a name like absentminded I suspect you don't know what nuts is outside of a walnut. Been pouring too much espresso roast...?
- iNoles, on 05/20/2009, -0/+2did Wally World (Walmart) has Hillary Clinton as their board member?
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