In the US, Starbucks is known for its generous employee benefits, cuz part-time baristas get medical insurance and other cool stuff. But I guess the Starbucks workers in New Zealand don’t feel the mermaid’s been generous at all. Starbucks “partners” from 10 different stores in NZ walked out today, asking for higher wages. (Thanks for the tip, tailos!)
Their complaint, according to campaign coordinator Simon Oosterman: “Starbucks workers start on $10 an hour, only fifty cents above the minimum wage. Workers hours are not guaranteed and can, and have been, cut from 40 to 20 hours. In Australia, Starbucks workers earn almost $5 more per hour than their New Zealand workmates. We are only asking for $2 more per hour.”
With a lil help from XE.com, I figured out that the workers are asking for what would be a starting wage rate of $8.33 USD, up from the current $6.94 USD.
I have no idea how that compares to the pay rates in the US, but I do know that Starbucks works to bust unions here — which helps explain why only 300 out of 80,000 workers globally are unionized.
BTW — Last year, the relatively new Starbucks Baristas Union (organized in New York with IWW IU/660) joined Global Exchange’s call to Starbucks to up its fair trade certified purchases to 5 percent of its coffee.
Currently, 1.6% of Starbucks’ coffee is fair trade certified.
Update, 11/29/05: Now the Starbucks workers in NYC have charged Starbucks with union busting.
Filed in: starbuckschallenge starbucks union strike fairtrade coffee
A quick question for a curious mind:
Why only focus the challenge on starbucks? Surely, other coffee chains and independants are just as bad if not worse. Why shouldn’t we name and shame these miscreants as well?
Comment by Saladin — November 23, 2005 @ 9:26 pm
Please feel free to name and shame! I’d be in full support :) The Starbucks Challenge is taking up all the blog time I have at the moment, but I’ve been in touch with another blogger who’s thinking of doing something similar with Dunkin’ Donuts, for ex.
Why I’m personally interested in focusing on Starbucks right now: Starbucks, more than any other company that does NOT make fair trade coffee purchases a significant portion of their buy, talks really, really big. You know — Starbucks and FT have the same goals, we’ll make you an FT cup any day any time, etc. etc. I guess what bothers me is that the mermaid gives so much lip service to fair trade — and profits from their association with the fair trade movement — while taking relatively little action to buy and promote fair trade certified products.
The other reason: They’re so damn big — and getting bigger. If they made a change, that would mean a HUGE change for the fair trade movement and beleagured farmers around the globe…
Comment by Siel — November 23, 2005 @ 10:05 pm
Starbucks busts unions?
I didn’t know that – I’ll never buy coffee there again (which doesn’t really mean anything – I don’t go there much anyways, but now I’ve really got a good reason).
Thanks for cluing me in!
Comment by Peggy Archer — November 27, 2005 @ 11:49 am
Aside: Starbucks has also recently made a move from Aetna to Blue Cross and took minimal steps to inform everyone. Result? Many people (including our family) lost a TON of benefits. They defaulted us to Blue Cross BASIC, which is shit. We pay 2x the premiums and 2x the copays for 1/2x the coverage. We appealed to the Starbucks Benefit Committee and they told us to piss off (using only slightly more polite words). You should see our medical bills piling up. Great benefits? Fuck that; fuck them! I’ll never support them with even $0.01 again. I’ll do everything I can to continue the stock plummet.
Go in and tell the barista you had a a bad cup of coffee…it’ll get you a free drink of your choice every time! Starbucks has a “just say Yes” policy…until it comes to their employees.
Comment by KJ — January 9, 2010 @ 12:53 pm
Saladin – Great idea! Go ahead and start the challenge!
KJ — Sorry to hear about the lost benefits. Unfortunately, your story is not an unusual one at all in the U.S. today. And I really don’t think we can rely on companies to take care of our health care needs in the broken system we have. Health care reform now!
Comment by Siel — January 28, 2010 @ 5:36 pm
I agree with you…too bad the current Administration is taking the reform in the completely WRONG direction. Forcing people to carry overpriced/coverage-lacking health insurance by penalty of FINE?!!!! Shame on Obama and the rest of our “representatives.” I knew this would happen. Have you been getting your free cup of coffee?
Comment by KJ — January 28, 2010 @ 5:58 pm
I prefer single payer myself, as Obama says he to prefers, but you gotta start somewhere. If everyone buys insurance, then insurance should get less expensive — I’m already forced to carry overpriced, coverage-lacking insurance, and many others don’t even have the option of purchasing insurance at any price.
Comment by Siel — February 8, 2010 @ 5:45 pm