John,

Barring something unforeseen, 12,000 Starbucks baristas will go on strike tomorrow morning. Don’t cross the picket line. Make your coffee at home, or stop at a local shop.

Corporations declared war on the union movement a generation ago, and inequality has raged out of control ever since―directing virtually all new wealth to the richest 1%.

That same inequality is at the base of the long-term Social Security funding shortfall―if the ultra-rich paid their fair share, we could not only afford Social Security, we could afford to increase it.

The only way to turn this around is to increase unionization in this country, and to support workers when they step up and demand better.

Can you send a message to Starbucks’s CEO, who made $96 million last year, telling him that you stand with striking workers?

Where unions go, higher wages and better workplace protections follow. Higher wages strengthen Social Security, and safer workplaces reduce disability claims. Unions helped build our Social Security system, and strong unions make a stronger Social Security system.

But Starbucks corporate has fought these baristas tooth and nail for years, while degrading customer service by cutting staffing and overloading the remaining baristas with orders from the app. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol says that the company’s future rests with AI, not their skilled staff. It’s absurd.

Tell Starbucks’s CEO: I stand with Starbucks workers!

In solidarity,

Michael Phelan
Social Security Works