Hi John,
My name is Nabretta Hardin and I’m a partner at the Poplar and Highland Ave Starbucks in Memphis, TN and a leader with Starbucks Workers United. I’m a hardworking Black woman and I enjoy working and serving the community. I’m proud of the work that I do, but I’m not proud of Starbucks’ union-busting ways.
On Wednesday, Starbucks’ former CEO Howard Schultz testified before the Senate HELP Committee Chaired by Senator Bernie Sanders over allegations that Starbucks has retaliated against workers by withholding benefits and raises, cutting hours of union employees, purposefully understaffing stores, conducting surveillance on employees, and illegally firing workers and closing stores that voted to unionize.
Rather than take responsibility for the 80+ complaints against Starbucks by the National Labor Relations Board — Schultz doubled-down, blatantly lied about his company’s illegal activities, and evaded questions.
But the company has a chance to change course. Will you tell Starbucks’ new CEO Laxman Narasimhan to do the right thing and respect workers’ rights? Click here to sign the petition.
Sign the petition
John, we have a constitutional right to unionize. But in the 475 days since the first Starbucks unionized, of the 290 stores who have since voted to unionize, not a single location has secured a fair union contract.1 Starbucks claims they are willing to bargain, but we have hundreds of examples where Starbucks managers refused to meet at the bargaining table or walked out within minutes of the meeting taking place.
As Bernie Sanders said during the hearing on Wednesday, if Starbucks is actually honest about their willingness to bargain, they should “do it!”
Starbucks calls their employees “partners” but they’ve been treating us as anything but. Partners live paycheck-to-paycheck, can’t afford the healthcare plans Starbucks provides, and aren’t allocated the hours we need to live. Many of my fellow partners have to live off of food stamps just to survive. Meanwhile Starbucks raked in $900 million in profits in the quarter ending in October last year.2
Starbucks has lost its way from the supposed progressive company it claims to be. But with a new CEO at the helm, we believe there is still time for Starbucks to change course by meeting with workers at the bargaining table and securing a fair contract for all employees who wish to unionize.
Will you join the 7,500 workers who make up Starbucks Workers United who are calling on the new Starbucks CEO to stop their illegal union-busting campaign and secure a fair contract? Click here to add your name to the petition.
Sign the petition
In solidarity,
Nabretta Hardin
Starbucks Workers United
@sbwupocket
Sources:
1. Starbucks' former CEO denies breaking law after Sen. Sanders accuses company of 'union busting', ABC News, March 29, 2023
2. Union Buster of the Year: Howard Schultz, New Republic, December 23, 2022
