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A cashier is seen at a Starbucks coffee shop. Seven workers at a Starbucks in Memphis, Tennessee, were fired by the corporation on February 8, 2022, amid a union drive. (Photo: Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Less than 24 hours after they were fired amid a unionization effort at a Starbucks in Memphis, Tennessee, former employees of the giant coffee chain reiterated that they don't intend to back down.
The corporation is trying "to silence us and we won't be silenced," Beto Sanchez, Lakota McGlawn, Nikki Taylor, and Nabretta Hardin--all four members of the union organizing committee at the city's Poplar and Highland Starbucks location--told pro-worker media group More Perfect Union during an exclusive interview shared Wednesday.
\u201cEXCLUSIVE: Pro-union Starbucks workers in Memphis speak publicly for the first time since being fired.\n\nThey say they were fired for \u201cpolicies that were never enforced before\u201d including \u201cworking off the clock\u201d by \u201clocking the door.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s to silence us and we won\u2019t be silenced.\u201d\u201d— More Perfect Union (@More Perfect Union) 1644419082
According to the erstwhile shift supervisors and baristas, they were fired on Tuesday for "policies that were never enforced before."
Amy Holden, the former manager of the Memphis Starbucks who resigned in November after nearly 10 years to protest what she called the company's "unfair" hiring and promotion practices, told More Perfect Union that the terminations of seven pro-union workers violated Starbucks policy. "This is definitely union-busting," she said.
\u201cEXCLUSIVE: The former manager of the Memphis Starbucks where 7 pro-union workers were fired today says that the terminations violated Starbucks protocol.\n\nStarbucks\u2019 reasons for firing the workers do not hold up to scrutiny, she explains.\n\n\u201cThis is definitely union-busting.\u201d\u201d— More Perfect Union (@More Perfect Union) 1644362203
Starbucks Workers United, which is representing company employees seeking to unionize at various locations around the United States, reportedly plans to file charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
The union said on Twitter that "Starbucks is retaliating against union leaders and supporters in Memphis for policies they've never consistently enforced before."
\u201cStarbucks is retaliating against union leaders & supporters in Memphis for policies they've never consistently enforced before. This partner was fired after signing a union card in view of the security camera, not for "security violations."\u201d— Starbucks Workers United (@Starbucks Workers United) 1644411185
"Memphis workers are calling on partners around the country to support them by organizing more stores across the nation," the union added.
\u201cMemphis workers are calling on partners around the country to support them by organizing more stores across the nation. We are organizing Starbucks partners coast to coast to stand united! Email us at sbworkersunited@gmail.com to get started.\u201d— Starbucks Workers United (@Starbucks Workers United) 1644421969
As Common Dreams reported last week, workers at more than 50 Starbucks stores in 19 states have taken steps to form bargaining units in the wake of the successful unionization of employees at two Buffalo, New York-area stores.
Last month, AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler accused Starbucks of deploying anti-union tactics in an attempt to defeat the ongoing nationwide wave of organizing. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has also denounced the corporation's union-busting efforts while calling Starbucks workers an "inspiration."
On Tuesday, Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-Ill.) tweeted, "I stand with the Starbucks workers fired in Memphis."
"It's retaliation, plain and simple," said Garcia. "Corporate big wigs couldn't stop the unionizing efforts that started in Buffalo, New York, so now they're using classic anti-worker, union-busting tactics to stop Starbucks Workers United."
Starbucks' war against the unionization of its stores comes as its profits surged by 31% in the final quarter of 2021. CEO Kevin Johnson--who saw his compensation soar by 39% to $20.4 million in 2021--announced last week that the corporation plans to increase prices even more this year.
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Less than 24 hours after they were fired amid a unionization effort at a Starbucks in Memphis, Tennessee, former employees of the giant coffee chain reiterated that they don't intend to back down.
The corporation is trying "to silence us and we won't be silenced," Beto Sanchez, Lakota McGlawn, Nikki Taylor, and Nabretta Hardin--all four members of the union organizing committee at the city's Poplar and Highland Starbucks location--told pro-worker media group More Perfect Union during an exclusive interview shared Wednesday.
\u201cEXCLUSIVE: Pro-union Starbucks workers in Memphis speak publicly for the first time since being fired.\n\nThey say they were fired for \u201cpolicies that were never enforced before\u201d including \u201cworking off the clock\u201d by \u201clocking the door.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s to silence us and we won\u2019t be silenced.\u201d\u201d— More Perfect Union (@More Perfect Union) 1644419082
According to the erstwhile shift supervisors and baristas, they were fired on Tuesday for "policies that were never enforced before."
Amy Holden, the former manager of the Memphis Starbucks who resigned in November after nearly 10 years to protest what she called the company's "unfair" hiring and promotion practices, told More Perfect Union that the terminations of seven pro-union workers violated Starbucks policy. "This is definitely union-busting," she said.
\u201cEXCLUSIVE: The former manager of the Memphis Starbucks where 7 pro-union workers were fired today says that the terminations violated Starbucks protocol.\n\nStarbucks\u2019 reasons for firing the workers do not hold up to scrutiny, she explains.\n\n\u201cThis is definitely union-busting.\u201d\u201d— More Perfect Union (@More Perfect Union) 1644362203
Starbucks Workers United, which is representing company employees seeking to unionize at various locations around the United States, reportedly plans to file charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
The union said on Twitter that "Starbucks is retaliating against union leaders and supporters in Memphis for policies they've never consistently enforced before."
\u201cStarbucks is retaliating against union leaders & supporters in Memphis for policies they've never consistently enforced before. This partner was fired after signing a union card in view of the security camera, not for "security violations."\u201d— Starbucks Workers United (@Starbucks Workers United) 1644411185
"Memphis workers are calling on partners around the country to support them by organizing more stores across the nation," the union added.
\u201cMemphis workers are calling on partners around the country to support them by organizing more stores across the nation. We are organizing Starbucks partners coast to coast to stand united! Email us at sbworkersunited@gmail.com to get started.\u201d— Starbucks Workers United (@Starbucks Workers United) 1644421969
As Common Dreams reported last week, workers at more than 50 Starbucks stores in 19 states have taken steps to form bargaining units in the wake of the successful unionization of employees at two Buffalo, New York-area stores.
Last month, AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler accused Starbucks of deploying anti-union tactics in an attempt to defeat the ongoing nationwide wave of organizing. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has also denounced the corporation's union-busting efforts while calling Starbucks workers an "inspiration."
On Tuesday, Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-Ill.) tweeted, "I stand with the Starbucks workers fired in Memphis."
"It's retaliation, plain and simple," said Garcia. "Corporate big wigs couldn't stop the unionizing efforts that started in Buffalo, New York, so now they're using classic anti-worker, union-busting tactics to stop Starbucks Workers United."
Starbucks' war against the unionization of its stores comes as its profits surged by 31% in the final quarter of 2021. CEO Kevin Johnson--who saw his compensation soar by 39% to $20.4 million in 2021--announced last week that the corporation plans to increase prices even more this year.
Less than 24 hours after they were fired amid a unionization effort at a Starbucks in Memphis, Tennessee, former employees of the giant coffee chain reiterated that they don't intend to back down.
The corporation is trying "to silence us and we won't be silenced," Beto Sanchez, Lakota McGlawn, Nikki Taylor, and Nabretta Hardin--all four members of the union organizing committee at the city's Poplar and Highland Starbucks location--told pro-worker media group More Perfect Union during an exclusive interview shared Wednesday.
\u201cEXCLUSIVE: Pro-union Starbucks workers in Memphis speak publicly for the first time since being fired.\n\nThey say they were fired for \u201cpolicies that were never enforced before\u201d including \u201cworking off the clock\u201d by \u201clocking the door.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s to silence us and we won\u2019t be silenced.\u201d\u201d— More Perfect Union (@More Perfect Union) 1644419082
According to the erstwhile shift supervisors and baristas, they were fired on Tuesday for "policies that were never enforced before."
Amy Holden, the former manager of the Memphis Starbucks who resigned in November after nearly 10 years to protest what she called the company's "unfair" hiring and promotion practices, told More Perfect Union that the terminations of seven pro-union workers violated Starbucks policy. "This is definitely union-busting," she said.
\u201cEXCLUSIVE: The former manager of the Memphis Starbucks where 7 pro-union workers were fired today says that the terminations violated Starbucks protocol.\n\nStarbucks\u2019 reasons for firing the workers do not hold up to scrutiny, she explains.\n\n\u201cThis is definitely union-busting.\u201d\u201d— More Perfect Union (@More Perfect Union) 1644362203
Starbucks Workers United, which is representing company employees seeking to unionize at various locations around the United States, reportedly plans to file charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
The union said on Twitter that "Starbucks is retaliating against union leaders and supporters in Memphis for policies they've never consistently enforced before."
\u201cStarbucks is retaliating against union leaders & supporters in Memphis for policies they've never consistently enforced before. This partner was fired after signing a union card in view of the security camera, not for "security violations."\u201d— Starbucks Workers United (@Starbucks Workers United) 1644411185
"Memphis workers are calling on partners around the country to support them by organizing more stores across the nation," the union added.
\u201cMemphis workers are calling on partners around the country to support them by organizing more stores across the nation. We are organizing Starbucks partners coast to coast to stand united! Email us at sbworkersunited@gmail.com to get started.\u201d— Starbucks Workers United (@Starbucks Workers United) 1644421969
As Common Dreams reported last week, workers at more than 50 Starbucks stores in 19 states have taken steps to form bargaining units in the wake of the successful unionization of employees at two Buffalo, New York-area stores.
Last month, AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler accused Starbucks of deploying anti-union tactics in an attempt to defeat the ongoing nationwide wave of organizing. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has also denounced the corporation's union-busting efforts while calling Starbucks workers an "inspiration."
On Tuesday, Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-Ill.) tweeted, "I stand with the Starbucks workers fired in Memphis."
"It's retaliation, plain and simple," said Garcia. "Corporate big wigs couldn't stop the unionizing efforts that started in Buffalo, New York, so now they're using classic anti-worker, union-busting tactics to stop Starbucks Workers United."
Starbucks' war against the unionization of its stores comes as its profits surged by 31% in the final quarter of 2021. CEO Kevin Johnson--who saw his compensation soar by 39% to $20.4 million in 2021--announced last week that the corporation plans to increase prices even more this year.