Unionizing Starbucks
Some baristas at Starbucks are trying to form their own union. Recently the Service Employees International Union, Local 26, based in the Twin Cities, voted to support the IWW Starbucks Workers Union.
In January, the so-called IWW Starbucks Workers Union in Minnesota, baristas at the Mall of America Starbucks had stopped work to protest the closure of 600 stores.
But is this really the time to squeeze them for more money? Most baristas don't work full-time to qualify to be part of a union and those that do wouldn't make enough money to cut part of their check to the union. Organizing minimum wage jobs ends up hurting the employees and ends up increasing unemployment as fewer people are hired. The real problems is getting a full-time job at Starbucks instead of a clerical or vocational job where they can make enough money to support themselves. We need to make sure they can afford a vocational education. Vocations now on average make more money than those who go to four-year colleges so this is where our energy should be to increase prosperity.
It's hard to be sure if this is serious.
In January, the so-called IWW Starbucks Workers Union in Minnesota, baristas at the Mall of America Starbucks had stopped work to protest the closure of 600 stores.
But is this really the time to squeeze them for more money? Most baristas don't work full-time to qualify to be part of a union and those that do wouldn't make enough money to cut part of their check to the union. Organizing minimum wage jobs ends up hurting the employees and ends up increasing unemployment as fewer people are hired. The real problems is getting a full-time job at Starbucks instead of a clerical or vocational job where they can make enough money to support themselves. We need to make sure they can afford a vocational education. Vocations now on average make more money than those who go to four-year colleges so this is where our energy should be to increase prosperity.
It's hard to be sure if this is serious.
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