Comments

2

"Met with the Queen" = saying goodbye to your dying Grandmother. Good to see some reconciliation.

3

Hannah, so sorry to hear about all the one-sided violence in the Middle East. Keep us informed!

5

The corner of Broadway and Denny is now "downtown"?!?

@1: I hope they get more out of it than just paying union dues. Seattle's labor laws already require most of what unions have traditionally obtained for workers. (And I say this as a proud alumnus of two different unions in Seattle.)

6

@3 & @4: The author seems to have confused two different reports of violence in the same AP story. That story begins with the most recent violence, but then expands to cover multiple previous acts of violence, in which a total of 14 persons inside Israel, and 25 Palestinians, were killed:

"Tensions have soared in recent weeks following a series of attacks by Palestinians that killed 14 people inside Israel. Israeli troops have carried out a wave of arrests and military operations across the occupied West Bank, setting off clashes with Palestinians.

"At least 25 Palestinians have been killed, according to an Associated Press count. Many had carried out attacks or were involved in the clashes, but an unarmed woman and a lawyer who appears to have been a bystander were also among those killed."

7

@2: Elizabeth isn't dying, just old. Her mother lived to 102.

Hopefully the visit went smoothly and they didn't say anything to further upset her.

8

Harry made it to Philip's funeral. Meghan didn't because she was about to give birth and was advised not to travel.

If you're going to highlight a UK story, try Boris's plan to award UK asylum seekers with a one-way plane ticket to Rwanda. You can't make this shit up.

9

@4 If you are looking for accurate reporting on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, you are in the wrong place.

12

It's embarrassing when someone paid to write doesn't know the difference between "weary" and "wary", never mind all the other mistakes (grammar, punctuation, typos). I thought this website had an editor.

14

ah, so that is what inspired last night's Law & Order!

God save the Queen; Never mind the bollocks

15

@7: results may vary. Elizabeth Regina hasn't been in public much lately.

the visit may have been prompted by her health condition. we're all speculating.

16

@13: Good questions on the low-hanging fruit journalists would usually ask. Calls for an in-depth article.

18

Most retail Starbucks employees do not qualify of r health benefits or other benefits. It's the same game most retailers play of keeping hours deliberately stunted to so workers do not qualify.

Like most public facing retailer Starbucks demanded their workers be exposed to a pandemic and fought tooth and nail over hazard pay, extended health benefits, etc to deal with the crisis. The pandemic saw a massive increase in worker abuse (over mask mandates, etc). Starbucks Corporate in particular did not do anything to shield its workers from this constant escalating abuse. So many workers quit in frustration overburdening remaining workers.

Starbucks placed itself in this precarious labor position.

And directly due to their front line workers diligence and commitment throughout the pandemic Starbucks only saw a small down turn, unlike most retailers.

In 2021-2022 profits were way up over even pre-pandemic profits the North America and U.S. segment. GAAP operating margin increased to 14.6% compared to 13.5% in the same period of the previous year. Starbucks' revenues are set to rise by 10% to $32.1 billion for FY 2022.

It is completely fair that they share a portion of these profits with the front line workers who risked thier lives in a pandemic.

And it's maybe a five second google search to find what Unionizers want:

https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2022/01/starbucks-workers-united-why-baristas-at-broadway-and-denny-shop-are-demanding-unionization/

"“It’s really about everyone’s fundamental right to have representation at work. It’s bigger than just our store or just Starbucks. It’s really about what we can do for not just the industry but workers everywhere when we all stand together and demand fairness,” Starbucks worker Rachel Ybarra told CHS.

Describing the movement’s outreach, Ybarra said it is like a fire that keeps spreading. “It’s just kind of astounding how much we could win with this. The fight is hard, but I think it’s really worth it,” Ybarra said.

“They are really here for the profit and if they want to prove us wrong then they should voluntarily accept these unions,” Ybarra said.

Durkin said their goals are to elevate the Starbucks partner experience, challenge the company to live up to their ideals, and to help grow a company that “has purported to be one of the best industries to work in.”

https://www.foodnewsnews.com/starbucks/what-are-the-demands-of-the-starbucks-workers-union/

https://www.eater.com/22925565/starbucks-union-wave-explained

"The union's core demands are fair severance, better wages, an automatic annual cost of living increase, guaranteed minimum hours and more staff members on shifts. According to Forman, the union isn't seeking an election or a bargaining unit contract.

The Nebraska Starbucks Workers Union went public with their union and organizing drive on August 6th, 2010 by walking off the job and presenting then District Manager Jennifer Rojas with a list of demands which included increasing wages above poverty rates, an inclement weather plan for the district, consistent scheduling and fully stocked First Aid kit in the store as per OSHA regulations among other things."

20

@18: "And it's maybe a five second google search to find what Unionizers want".

Indeed, looking at headline posts here for context, background, or even basic facts is a complete waste of time. Any and all of the accurate and useful information on the topic of the headline post can be found in the comments.

21

"'It’s really about everyone’s fundamental
right to have representation at work.

It’s bigger than just our
store or just Starbucks.

It’s really about what we can do for
not just the industry but workers everywhere
when we all stand together and demand fairness,'

Starbucks worker Rachel Ybarra told CHS."

Employees are
Stakeholders Too

Put some on Your Board
o' Directors Schultzy!
Howie? can you
NOT Hear Me?

pronto.

23

A low skilled job that labeled "Essential" only six months ago and suddenly dubbed so crucial by the executive and Wall Street class that the survival of retail hinges upon the slightest variation; and a shortage of which is supposedly going to cause doom tot he whole capitalist system.

I'm unclear what sort of skills you guys seem to think you have other than haunt The Stranger day and night.

26

@25 I have no idea what the age demographics of Starbucks baristas are. Regardless we do not get to say what risks other people should have to incur.

However you may be unaware, which many seem to be even 2 years into the pandemic, but an infectious disease with a logarithmic spread infects family members, some of which may be older and more vulnerable.

And all these risks should incur compensation. Particularly if the company garnered massive profits in the process.

This is up tot he workers to decide. Workers get to determine if unionization will benefit them. Not you. Not their wealthy corporate overlords. Many of whom rode out the pandemic safely ensconced in their compounds with private physicians.

28

This article reads like an offhand checklist of progressive causes (unions good, Israel bad) or a text from one socialist to another, due to the informality (tbh instead of “to be honest”) and weird syntax errors: “…A lobbyist that doesn't want to crack down of theft…” rather than “crack down ON theft.”

As another commenter pointed out, what precisely is the Starbucks Union seeking in their anticipated collective bargaining package?

You can only pay people so much to brew, mix and serve coffee drinks, so this better be good.

Do they want paid college tuition, higher pay, better working conditions, more flexible hours, a better medical package?

These lower paying, secondary labor market service jobs are excellent motivators to get a university degree and move up in society, so they serve an important educational purpose in and of themselves, and may not require unionized intervention.

There are opportunities in-house as well. You can work your way into management and move up in the organization if you so desire.

There are plenty of well-paid executives at Starbucks overseeing the importing, grinding and serving of coffee drinks, as incredible as that may sound.

If you’re a car buff and curious about the latest models of Land Rover or Porsche,
go sneak a peek at the Starbucks parking garage, built over the dead remains of the Sears building, an enterprise that has become a zombie retailer and unable to compete in the digital retail arena, down in Georgetown or whatever that place is.

You would think that you have to design and build aircraft like Boeing to make that much dough, however Starbucks has perfected the art of not doing much except burning and serving weak coffee to distracted urbanites, and making boatloads of money.

Corporations like Boeing and Starbucks put their main emphasis on harvesting cash by marketing iffy products to unsuspecting consumers, although Starbucks hasn’t killed anyone yet, at least not directly, as far as we the unassuming caffeine-addicted public know.

Everyone remember your Manchurian Candidate mantra about what a great Neo-Capitalist leader Jeff Bezos is:

“Jeff Bezos is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.”

It may well be that Bezos contributes to The Stranger, so you’re on tenderloins if you criticize his hairy, over-indulged personage on these comment threads.

At any rate, why you would not side with Israel, wedged in between all those terrorist nations over there in the archaeological rubbish heap of Middle Eastern civilization, is beyond comprehension.

This is even more relevant given the incursion into the Ukraine by Russia, with China as a silent partner, no doubt willing to join forces with Iran to develop a nuclear weapon (which may in fact already be developed) and all the hellish disaster for the free world that would portend.

Nevertheless, these texting’s from Hannah Kreig who is a keen observer of the Seattle political scene, should be vetted by some sober individual in the newsroom, like an editor, although Hannah’s articles are insightful and thought-provoking.

Remember your Seattle greedy Neo-Capitalist Manchurian mantra:

“Jeff Bezos is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.”

30

For god's sake, leave the Middle Eastern news to those who know what the hell they're talking about. First, there's no reason Slog needs to be dealing with that, and second, badly inaccurate reporting only causes more angry division among Americans.

31

Polly @28 - Perhaps someone slipped something in your afternoon tea. If you think Jeff Bezos is a hairy guy that contributes money to The Stranger so they won't criticize him, maybe it's you who are on "tenderloins" (the more common expression is "on tenterhooks").

32

There is no 5th and Pine location for Starbucks…

There is a 4th and Pine, but like, that’s not the same thing…

35

'What is the Union telling you?'
--@cricket

not to build strawmen


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