SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Workers at a Starbucks in San Francisco's Castro District Friday are joining those from about 100 other stores across the country taking part in a three-day labor strike.
The so-called "double down" strike comes amidst a growing unionization movement by Starbucks workers.
Workers are alleging that the coffee giant has been "doubling down" on union-busting tactics lately, like closing stores trying to unionize and firing union leaders.
"We're really just hoping to have a voice in the company," said James Kreiss, Lead Organizer with Starbucks Workers United Union and a supervisor at the Castro location. "Right now we don’t have that."
Workers are hoping for a living wage and a seat at the table with the company.
"We want to be able to speak up for ourselves and be able to get stuff like – we want better staffing, we want better predictable scheduling," said Kreiss.
The nearly two dozen workers at the Castro location voted to unionize but progress has since stalled out.
"We're one of those stores, of many stores that are waiting on a negotiation date," he said.
This sort of delay isn’t actually all that unusual, according to Michael LeRoy, a professor at the University of Illinois on labor and employment relations. This is a process that can sometimes take years.
"The negotiation process is likely to be protracted, it's likely to be something that looks like an economic war of attrition," said LeRoy.
In a statement to KCBS Radio, a Starbucks spokesperson said the company respects the right of employees to engage in lawful protest and will remain focused on making Starbucks a company that works for everyone.
DOWNLOAD the Audacy App
SIGN UP and follow KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
