Friends, 

Starbucks has continued its smashmouth, bare-knuckle attack on baristas who are fighting for living wages, guaranteed access to healthcare, and stable work schedules.  They’ve doled out raises and benefits to non-unionized workers, filed a blizzard of lawsuits to overturn legally recognized union elections, fired over 85 worker organizers, and have closed unionized stores all in an effort to keep their river of profits flowing.  

According to Sarah Pappen, a Starbucks barista and one of the leading organizers, “You can only squeeze people so far, and that’s really where we are at, with inflation soaring and the bosses using that to maximize profits, and the massive pressure of the pandemic on top of that. People have just been squeezed on every end.”

To date, over 230 Starbucks stores have voted to unionize, representing nearly 6,000 workers! And Seattle has led the way with the most union petitions filed this year. Seattle Starbucks workers have also led the way in workplace actions, with Seattle and the PNW being the epicenter of strikes.  

This militancy continues this coming Monday and Tuesday with two actions to force billionaire CEO and chief union-buster Howard Schultz to the bargaining table, something he and Starbucks have refused to do, despite being legally required to. 

We’ll be outside the Lumen Field stadium for the Seahawks/Broncos Monday night football game, starting at 4pm, to talk with folks about Starbucks union-busting and to put a spotlight on Mellody Hobson, owner of the Denver Broncos and chairwoman of Starbucks, to force her and the company she leads to stop union-busting.  (Note: We will be outside the stadium, not inside. You do not need to have tickets to participate)

It could not be more stark:  Mellody Hobson, who is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is married to George Lucas, a billionaire, is leading a company that is trying to crush its workers' struggle for a living wage and the ability to live in the city they work in.  Its an outrage that follows the trend of a yawning wage gap between CEOs and US workers which jumped to 670-1 last year (meaning the average CEO received $670 in compensation for every $1 the worker received). This despite record corporate profits last year, with Starbucks’ bringing in $4,000,000,000. 

In solidarity, 

Bryan W

Starbucks Workers Solidarity Campaign 

P.S. This Tuesday (9/13) is the next Seattle DSA General Membership Meeting and it’s a HYBRID meeting.  For those who feel comfortable attending in person, we’ll be meeting at Washington Hall (153 14th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122) at 7pm. Please RSVP

Important: To protect ourselves we are asking that everyone who is ill or has symptoms to please stay at home and join over Zoom. We are also asking for people to take a rapid at home test within 2 days before the meeting.  We are requiring that attendees be vaccinated and wear a mask for the entire duration of the meeting.  In the past we would provide snacks and drinks but we have suspended this service to encourage people to keep their masks on throughout the meeting.  We will also make sure that the meeting space is well ventilated.