Starbucks Union

A lot of people say, if a union comes in them no one will be held accountable. The problem with this argument is that those who need to be held accountable most, i.e. management are really held accountable by each other before some really serious shit goes down. It’s amazing what one manager will let another manager get away with.

It’s the unspoken unchallenged thin blue line of management solidarity. They’re all looking out for each other and recruiting people to take their place that will look out for them by covering up their misdeeds.

The guy on the bottom however is the scapegoat.

Fact is that an independent organized workforce is probably the only way to hold bosses accountable for their misdeeds.

Unions in other words provide accountability where before there was non. Which is one reason why managers and bosses hate them some much.

no gods no masters

Yeah, the bottom guy is always the scapegoat. In most instances it is the Barista. It's insulting that no promotions have come out of my store, and we have several capable people. What I see happening alot is outside people coming in being trained for upper level management positions. Wouldn't a good SM want to advance his staff in house before foraging outwards. Meanwhile we have shift supervisors that have been around for long enough, not going anywhere. It almost gives the job the illusion of being dead end, which I know is not the case in general.

if you would really like to see change at your store you should call the starbucks compliance number. they really don't fuck around. they investigate EVERY call and take your complaint very seriously. they have the power, and will terminate managers and district managers if they are not following protocall. i don't know the number off hand, but you can find it somewhere in your store, it should be posted somewhere.

i'm not to impressed with that mission statement review stuff. it doesnt seem to do anything at all really..

is this different?

I think you should go to someone about this instead of bitching about it on an internet forum. There are people who can deal with this within Starbucks, maybe you should fight the fight yourself. This manager obviously needs to be dealt with, but nothing will happen if your district manager, regional manager, or whoever doesn't know about it.

kacey8...

You've done the right thing bringing this issue to light on this particular forum and to the Starbucks Workers Union. You should contact the Starbucks Workers Union directly through this website to get more information about what you can do to work towards a resolution to your coworkers and your own issues.

Although you already seem aware of this, I cannot stress to you enough the absolute futility of using the company's grievance procedure whether it be through direct dealings with your manager/ district manager or through the Standards of Business Conduct Hotline. I have seen these methods used and used these methods myself and have either experienced inaction on behalf of the company or retalitation by the company for using these methods.

Your particular complaint really hits me on a personal level because I have experienced what you are going through not once but twice and at two different stores seperated by over a thousand miles.

For my co-workers and I it was really tough in both situations and in both situations what ended up happening was a systematic purge of every barista that would not fall into line under the new manager. Sounds a little paranoid and spooky right? Thats what I thought the first time. But after seeing it happen twice I am more apt to believe that some form a reign of terror by a new hire or transfered manager is company policy.

When I first experienced a new manager at a store I had been working at it was a new hire manager. After eight weeks of training this person was calling the shots in a store that primarily consisted of baristas who had been with the company for two years or more. Not only was this embryonic manager undertaking an epic battle of with the egos of the veteran baristas but this person was also trying to completely overhaul a perfectly functioning million dollar store in every way imaginable. The results were saddening and what could have been a postive experience with the bringing in of fresh ideas from a new manager combined with the experience of baristas and shifts who had been with the company for years ended in disaster. Everyone who was in that store before the new manager came was either terminated, quit, or in my case transfered within months of his arrival. This all occured under the close watch of our district manager and after numerous calls to the Standards of Business Conduct Hotline.

My second experience happened within weeks of my transfer to my new store all the way across the country. Bad luck or trend in corporate policy? Who knows? Anyways the difference this time was the new manager at the store had been a manager with the company for a long time. This manager came with an agenda and a rack of shift supervisors from their old store who were totally loyal and looked down on the people who were already in this store. The favoritism afforded this particular group of shifts is totally apparent and they have wreaked havoc on the baristas of this store causing many to quit, transfer, and yes some have been terminated wrongfully. Again all under the close scrutiny of the manager, district manager, and with the involvement of the Standards of Business Conduct Hotline people.

The question I want to raise to all of you out there listening and Starbucks Corporate is where does this end? Starbucks lays out the rules, we follow the rules, Starbucks changes the rules, we change accordingly, no problem. But when you throw Starbucks turning over a manager into the equation and the whole system collapses. I have mananged to keep my job thus far by yesing my boss (whoever it may be this week) to death.

I keep my head low and I keep my cool and I do what I'm told. But hear this and hear this well everybody:

In order to keep my position at Starbucks I have had to sacrafice my dignity as a human being, my integrity as an honest person, and my loyalty to some people I would call my friends.

You're probably thinking wait... this person is messed up in the head, there is no way one person could allow all that to happen to their humanity working at a silly coffee shop.. right?

My answer to anyone who would question my motives is not to concern yourself with my motives. Instead question, whether it be in some silly anonymous forum or not, why someone would lay it on the line for you like that. Instead question why exactly there is a very active union organizing drive occuring at Starbucks across the country as we speak. Instead question everything you think you know about Starbucks whether you are a consumer or worker. Question whether a living wage, AFFORDABLE health insurance, steady work hours and basic human rights are something that you stand for.

But don't question me. I stand for the Starbucks Workers Union.

Kacey8-Your situation sounds like you your job sucks. Why don't you just quit and find a new one?

WOW Southbux-Have you ever worked for a union before?

Can't say I've ever worked for a union before bucko but I was a union member in one of my previous jobs.

It really wasn't until I started working non-union jobs that I began to develop my, lets say... somewhat militant stance regarding organized labor.

Just answer the question ahead of time regarding why I left my previous union job... it was simply a matter of wanting to try new things. Economically speaking it was a horrible decision. My whole working life has been in the service sector and the only good paying job with benefits worth mentioning was my union job. As a Starbucks barista I am doing more highly skilled labor than I was at my union job and not nearly being compensated as much for that labor. Every benefit I had at my union job was equal to or greater than Starbucks benefits including tuition reimbursement.

So you still want to know why I don't go back to my union job if Starbucks is soooo crummy? My response to this question is simply to agitate the hell out of people who would ask that question. But more importantly, to ORGANIZE!!!

Southbux,
Just knowing that these injustices are practiced at Starbucks stores all over, leaves me apprehensive at best. It seems as though my situation could only get uglier as I am now 5 months pregnant. Needless to say, I am most hesitant to request the necessary paperwork for my leave from my "awesome" new manager. I dread going to work everyday. You never know what new developments are on the horizon upon your arrival. Keeping a low profile hasn't really been working either because you are then accused of being stand-offish. It's beginning to feel like you're damned if you do or if you don't. I know they hate like hell to pay compensation to anyone for any reason. I, like yourself, am having my dignity chipped away at on a daily basis. It has been a stiff lesson in humility. What's so hard about it though, is that in the end it may not even pay off. I called corperate, and they seem pretty thorough, however- they want to know EVERYTHING!!!!! People places and things.....which makes sense, only I see one thing resulting from that. All those involved will most definitely cover their asses, and I will get the shaft. Getting the shaft wouldn't be the absolute worst thing that could happen, but I like so many others that have gotten a raw deal, really like the job itself, and not to mention, do quite well at it. If I'm going to get the boot out of anywhere I'd rather it be because of something I've done and not based on someone else's personal feelings about me. I never knew that an environment could be so scary. I've been a hairdresser now for 13 years and have never experienced the drama that I have while working for Starbucks. On a day to day basis, I am a person who makes her own money and files self-employment taxes on the business that I do. I started working at Sbux because I was so enamoured with the product and just had to know more!!!! Since I've been with the company, I get up every morning at 4am. and prepare myself to go open the store. Never called out, never looked for anyone to cover any of my shifts. Even in my present state, it can get a little difficult, yet I still trudge my weary bones to my store and get there by 5am. even when the "almighty shifts" don't show up until maybe 5:30. It's disheartening to get kicked in the teeth like this. I'm sure you can relate to some extent, as can everyone else otherwise they wouldn't be here.........