Friend,

Starbucks workers are organizing for sick time, better pay, better benefits, and more predictable work schedules. After a Buffalo, New York location became the first unionized Starbucks store, nearly 100 stores in 26 states are now in the process of unionizing!

But instead of giving workers what they’re worth, Starbucks executives are waging a massive anti-union campaign.

Starbucks’ union-busting tactics include targeting and retaliating against pro-union employees and leaders, sending executives to surveil and discourage unionization, hosting anti-union meetings and an anti-union website, and closing stores.

This is unacceptable. In just the past two weeks, Starbucks leaders have fired the entire organizing committee in one location, and delayed a union election vote count in another.

Sign the petition to Starbucks leadership: Halt all union-busting tactics and recognize workers’ rights to form unions.

The growing union movement at Starbucks locations is setting a precedent that goes beyond Starbucks.

Just this week I joined baristas on strike at Great Lakes Coffee in Detroit, who are demanding union recognition. Below is a photo of workers carrying signs outside the store—I’m wearing all black, with a black beanie that says “Resist.”

What happens at Starbucks in the next few months could have a major impact on all workers striving for better workplace conditions.

And it’s not like Starbucks can’t afford to pay their workers more. The company just reported a 31% increase in profits, and gave their CEO a nearly 40% raise (to over $20 million a year).

It’s clear that they care more about their executives than their workers. However, as a self-proclaimed progressive company, Starbucks leaders also care about the company’s reputation.

They’re paying attention to how the public is responding to the situation. So we’ve got to demonstrate strong public support for workers in this crucial moment.

Please sign and share the petition to call on Starbucks leadership, including CEO and President Kevin Johnson, to stop union-busting and recognize unions.

Thank you for having workers’ backs.

In solidarity,

Rashida

P.S. If you’d like to stay tuned about the Starbucks unionizing effort, you can check out more about what workers are doing at @SBWorkersUnited on Twitter. On their Twitter page, the union movement also lists an email address for Starbucks employees to contact if they want to get started with the process of unionizing. And you can follow the folks organizing at Detroit’s Great Lakes Coffee by checking out @coffee_comrades on Twitter. It’s an exciting time for the labor movement!