1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin and you were listening to Here's 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: the Thing from iHeart Radio. 3 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 2: My dad died in eighty seven, and I wanted to 4 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:12,479 Speaker 2: try and build the kind of company he never got 5 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 2: a chance to work for. 6 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: That's Howard Schultz, three time CEO of the Starbucks Corporation, 7 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: when he was a guest on this podcast in September 8 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: of twenty sixteen. 9 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 2: So the entire business model was trying to balance profit 10 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 2: with conscience, benevolence, and social impact. So the first thing 11 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 2: I did was everyone at Starbucks was going to be 12 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 2: an owner. So I gave ownership to every employee in 13 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 2: eighty seven, which I've done since then. And I gave 14 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 2: comprehensive health insurance, first company in America to provide comprehensive 15 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 2: health way before the Affordable. 16 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: Care for every single person that works for you. 17 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, what does that cost you a year before 18 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 2: the Affordable Care Act? It costs three hundred million a year, 19 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,279 Speaker 2: more than the cost of coffee beans for Starbucks. Thought 20 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 2: it was crazy, and I was trying to raise money 21 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,040 Speaker 2: at the same time. I had all these ideas and people. 22 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 1: Said, wait, you want to get rid of that component? 23 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, And I said no, I said, I'm going to 24 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 2: prove to you that we will have lower attrition, higher performance, 25 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 2: and our customers will know what we're doing for our people, 26 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 2: and it will resonate with the brand. 27 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 1: And this is going to be our marketing stretch. Though 28 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: Schultz is discussing the benevolence that his company has shown 29 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 1: to its employees, one could argue that Schultz is feeling 30 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: a tad underappreciated these days. While in the last five 31 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 1: years the stock price of Starbucks has doubled and in 32 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, the coffee chain's revenue reached thirty two 33 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:47,040 Speaker 1: billion dollars, the US is experiencing a labor movement resurgence, 34 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: with union petitions up more than fifty percent in twenty 35 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: twenty two from the previous year. Current Starbucks unionization efforts 36 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 1: began in twenty twenty one, and the company mounted an 37 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: aggressive anti union campaign in response. As a result, a 38 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: federal judge found Starbucks engaged in quote egregious and widespread 39 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: misconduct unquote, and the National Labor Relations Board found the 40 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 1: company violated federal labor law one thousand, three hundred times 41 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 1: under Schultz's watch. Schultz was even called to testify before 42 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: Congress over the union busting allegations, and ended up stepping 43 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: down from his position early. My guest today is a 44 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: Starbucks Workers United organizer and an employee of one of 45 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 1: the first Starbucks in the country that filed for a 46 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: union election, Gianna Reeve. Since Reeve and her colleague's initial 47 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: organizing efforts in Buffalo, three hundred and twenty eight stores 48 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: in thirty nine states have voted to unionize, and more 49 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: elections are under way. I wanted to know how Reeve's 50 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: journey with the coffee chain began. 51 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 3: Working at Starbucks in September to October of twenty twenty. 52 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 3: I started at a Tim Horton's. As you know, Buffalo 53 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 3: born and bred that I am. You always started like 54 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 3: a Tim Hortons or somewhere like that, and I didn't 55 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 3: really enjoy the job. I felt like it was a 56 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 3: series of management overstepping bounds. They were a franchise location, 57 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 3: so I was looking for something better, and what looked 58 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 3: better was Starbucks. 59 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: Why did you want to go to Starbucks? Did you 60 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 1: think that this was a good place to work? Do 61 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: you have a sense of or it just was a 62 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: quick opportunity. They were hiring. Why did you end up there? 63 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 3: Specifically, from what I knew about Starbucks being a consumer 64 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 3: first before a prospective employee, I thought it sounded amazing. 65 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 3: I looked at the benefits. I looked at the way 66 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 3: they treated their queer employees. I looked at the way 67 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 3: that they wanted to connect with customers, and when, wow, 68 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 3: this is this is a company that really values human connection. 69 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 3: That's something that I'm missing working at Tim Horton's that 70 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 3: I would really like to have. While I'm working a 71 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 3: coffee job, I had a bit of rose colored glasses 72 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 3: on going in that were slowly taken off over time. 73 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 3: But that was really the thing that brought me to Starbucks, 74 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 3: was that value on humanity. 75 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,600 Speaker 1: Now, when you get there, how soon do you begin 76 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: to sense that there's changes that need to be made 77 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 1: in your estimation? Was everybody like minded about this or 78 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: did you have to open people's eyes? What was the 79 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 1: dawning of we have real problems here that can only 80 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: be addressed by unionization. 81 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 3: Well that's a very loaded question in the sense that 82 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 3: I think each Starbucks brist might tell you a different story, 83 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 3: but I can tell you mine, and that my store 84 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 3: location was one of the first three to organize, and 85 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 3: it started for folks even before they were at the 86 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 3: location they were at. So my location was fairly new 87 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 3: at the start of the union drive in Starbucks, we 88 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:00,160 Speaker 3: were maybe a year old at that point. Lot of 89 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 3: us came from other locations, and through our experiences at 90 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 3: those other locations, we were starting to just become exhausted. 91 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:10,600 Speaker 3: We'd go through the right channels for things like understaffing, harassment, 92 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 3: trying to uphold COVID policy because we were tasked with 93 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 3: being the people to say, hey, like, you have to 94 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 3: keep your mask on, and people would get aggressive, people 95 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 3: would get violent about that. We know how people feel 96 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 3: about that. So we weren't experiencing support and we weren't 97 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 3: getting that protection that we needed from management and from 98 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 3: upper corporate levels, and it was wearing down on everyone 99 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 3: in different ways. 100 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 1: So in a sense, the genesis of this, the fuse 101 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 1: that led this, was related to COVID and COVID policies 102 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 1: in the store. 103 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 3: I think for a lot of people it was a 104 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:44,559 Speaker 3: bit of a turning point in looking at the company 105 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 3: in a different way. But also even before that, the 106 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 3: earliest seeds of Starbucks Workers United movement came from another 107 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 3: coffee chain in Buffalo, New York, Spot Coffee Organizing, and 108 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,360 Speaker 3: through them, one of our works workers at the first 109 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 3: three locations named Lexi Rizzo, contacted Workers United and said 110 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 3: that this is something that we need to do. This 111 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 3: needs to happen. COVID kind of put that on pause 112 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 3: for a bit, but even though it put it on pause, 113 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 3: it also started to stoke those flames. It really brought 114 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,599 Speaker 3: the issues that were already there and existed within Starbucks 115 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:24,919 Speaker 3: to the forefront of people's minds, such as understaffing, a 116 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 3: lack of seniority benefits, benefits that partners have a hard 117 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 3: time accessing. I know more partners on Medicaid than I 118 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 3: know being on these Starbucks health insurance plans simply because 119 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 3: they cannot afford them. They don't have the hours available 120 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 3: to work. Starbucks often likes to parade their benefits being 121 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 3: available for part time workers as well, but we're starting 122 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 3: to see, and we have been seeing partners becoming so 123 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 3: decreased in hours that they're not hitting that twenty hour 124 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 3: a week limit that you need in order to be 125 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 3: able to be eligible for those benefits. 126 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: So they're deliberately scheduling it that way. 127 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 3: Yes, it's very difficult to be excited about benefits that 128 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 3: you can't obtain, and it's even more frustrating when it 129 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 3: feels like the company isn't listening to you. And one 130 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 3: of the best ways to get a company to listen 131 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 3: to you is to come together with your fellow co 132 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 3: workers and say, no, you need to listen to us. 133 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: Now. When you say partners, what do you mean by partners? 134 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 3: Partners is the term that Starbucks uses to describe their employees. 135 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 3: So we are all considered partners by Starbucks. 136 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: Are you still working at Starbucks now? 137 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 3: I am still working at Starbucks now? Yeah? 138 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: What's that like? Give us a description of So you're 139 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: at a Starbucks location. This one location, which the one 140 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 1: you were at is the Camp Road Starbucks. Correct, you're 141 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: still there now at the Camp Road Starbucks. Using just 142 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: that as an example, I'm not going to assume they're 143 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: all identical, but maybe they are. How does the management breakdown? 144 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: This is someone who's titled who runs the show? Who's 145 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 1: in charge? 146 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 3: If you ask Starbucks that it would be the managers. 147 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 3: If you asked any other worker at Starbucks that they 148 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 3: would probably say the shift supervisors. Why because shift supervisors 149 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:07,240 Speaker 3: are the day to day sort of operations. The manager 150 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 3: comes and goes, the manager writes the schedule, but the 151 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 3: shift supervisor is going to be the one that baristas 152 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 3: are in the most contact with. If you're coming into work, 153 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 3: if you're calling in you're like, hey, I got to 154 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 3: be I'm going to be late, that's going to be 155 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 3: your shift supervisor. If you don't know where you're going 156 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 3: to be on the floor for the day, if it's 157 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 3: going to be drive through, or you're going to be 158 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 3: on the espresso bar, if you're going to be making 159 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 3: the cold drinks, that's the shift supervisor deciding that. So 160 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 3: a lot of your day to day operations are being 161 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 3: overseen by the shift supervisors. 162 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: So the manager, are they off managing multiple locations? Do 163 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:43,680 Speaker 1: they have them taking a little tour of the area, 164 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 1: because as everybody knows, Starbucks is kind of ubiquitous. Are 165 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: they going to different locations there? In Buffalo? 166 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 3: Typically, now that the union busting heat has died down, 167 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,560 Speaker 3: it's typically one manager per location, But at one point, 168 00:08:57,640 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 3: at the peak of the union busting and at the 169 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 3: height of the first three store locations union elections, there 170 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 3: would be sometimes five six, seven, what Starbucks would call 171 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 3: support managers on the floor that were there to supposedly 172 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,079 Speaker 3: help the Buffalo district because we were struggling so hard 173 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 3: and they just missed the more completely with us. They 174 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 3: were so apologetic, but really they were essentially spies. I 175 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:27,079 Speaker 3: couldn't go anywhere in my store location without there being 176 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 3: one of these support managers breathing down my neck. I 177 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:33,199 Speaker 3: couldn't talk on the headsets at work and have organizing 178 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 3: conversations without a manager wearing a headset and listening in 179 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 3: at all. 180 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 1: Times, right out in the open. They did it right 181 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 1: in front of. 182 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 3: You, right right now. 183 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 1: Your phone conversation is about organizing, right in front of you. 184 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 3: Yes, it was never hidden as a secret that that's 185 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 3: their motive. 186 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 1: How did you feel about interacting with management? I mean, 187 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:55,719 Speaker 1: you say that the actual managers, as supposed to the 188 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 1: shift supervisors come and go. What was your relationship black 189 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 1: with these people who were monitoring your phone calls? 190 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 3: So the relationship with management at the time of the 191 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 3: union election, I Camp wrote it was a lot of 192 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 3: me trying to be as professional and employing my customer 193 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 3: service voice on them as much as I was on customers. Really, 194 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,439 Speaker 3: I wanted to make sure that they knew that I 195 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 3: wasn't just coming in to make trouble, because it seemed 196 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 3: to be like that was the feeling we were getting 197 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 3: about how they were depicting union organizers, and I wanted 198 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 3: them to know that, no, I've got a clean record, 199 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 3: I'm a model employee. I'm doing this because I love 200 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 3: my partners and I want them to have the best 201 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 3: experience at work as possible. I want this company to 202 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:43,680 Speaker 3: be what it says it's going to be. So I 203 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 3: thought the best way to exhibit that was to remain optimistic, 204 00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 3: remain nice. 205 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 1: And don't take the bait. Don't let them provoke back 206 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:56,400 Speaker 1: to something where you're going to give them grounds to 207 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 1: terminate right now. I mean, I go to Starbucks, period, 208 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 1: and there's a lot more kind of owner operated places 209 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: I go to in my neighborhood, smaller coffee shops and 210 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: so forth. But I mean, I'm I'm a Starbucks person. 211 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: I like their products. I have what I order at 212 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:14,560 Speaker 1: Starbucks that I like. And one of the last times 213 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 1: that I was out of Starbucks was up in Vermont. 214 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: We were there and I couldn't believe the pace and 215 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 1: I couldn't believe the intensity, And I couldn't believe the 216 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 1: look on the faces of the women and the men 217 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:28,079 Speaker 1: that were working there as they were like spinning, pivoting, 218 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: whipping and hitting the button to have the water shoot 219 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: the other thing to clean it and put more milk 220 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,200 Speaker 1: in it, and they're trying to make these drinks in 221 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: this balletic way. But it was more it was like 222 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: some primitive army coming down a mountaintop to kill you, 223 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:46,319 Speaker 1: you know. I mean, they were like so the amount 224 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:49,199 Speaker 1: of the heaving and breathing that was going on from 225 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: these people. They were working their asses off, you know, 226 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 1: they were working their asses off. There's a certain type 227 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:58,080 Speaker 1: of person that they hire who is just like a 228 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: super hard working person. And those people that come there 229 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:05,359 Speaker 1: who don't get it, who don't get the Starbucks program 230 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 1: of you got to be quick and you've got to 231 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:11,199 Speaker 1: be you know, really fast moving, they don't make the cut. 232 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: Is that kind of how it works. 233 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, they don't last too long. You have to move 234 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 3: at a certain kind of pace like that, and it's 235 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 3: kind of like learning a dance how you said, it's 236 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,320 Speaker 3: it is a bit ballatic and that you gotta move around, 237 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 3: you gotta It's almost like a part dance, part coffee shop, 238 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 3: part working in a kitchen, because sometimes you'll be like, oh, 239 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:34,719 Speaker 3: behind hot, behind corner, going around because if not, you're 240 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 3: going to just have a pile of baristas on the 241 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 3: floor covered in sugar syrup and espresso, wondering what the 242 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:41,439 Speaker 3: hell happened. 243 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: And you think also that there's people who I have 244 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 1: this image of people who, like day one, within a 245 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:50,160 Speaker 1: couple of hours, there's a certain type of person who's 246 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 1: like in the bathroom crying and they're like, what have 247 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 1: I got myself into? I got to get out of here. 248 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 1: You know, this isn't for me. It's too fast. 249 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:59,559 Speaker 3: It definitely exists. It's a bit of a culture shock, 250 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 3: that sort of feeling. It's, I hate to say it. 251 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 3: Starbucks now sort of feels like the fast food of 252 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:09,600 Speaker 3: coffee in a lot of ways because of that, like 253 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:15,200 Speaker 3: increased demand for breakneck speeds and for pushing out as 254 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 3: much coffee as possible. The way that we earn more 255 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:21,040 Speaker 3: labor hours to have more people on the floor at 256 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 3: any point in time is based on how many customers 257 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:27,080 Speaker 3: we get in and out of our stores or in 258 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 3: and out of the drive through at any point. So 259 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 3: a lot of the times you'll hear Burista's saying, you know, hey, manager, 260 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 3: so and so, we really need more people on Saturday. 261 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 3: Saturday mornings are just brutal. Can we get one more person? 262 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:44,880 Speaker 3: And they'll come back and say, unfortunately, the labor doesn't 263 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:46,840 Speaker 3: cut it. You know, we don't have the time, we 264 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 3: don't have the people. We need to work on getting 265 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:50,440 Speaker 3: some more people out of our drive through and then 266 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:52,880 Speaker 3: we could see if that ups our labor budget to 267 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 3: have more people on the floor. So it's it's this 268 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 3: constant cycle of work harder, go faster, and maybe you'll 269 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 3: have a little bit of put on you if they 270 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 3: have another person to the floor. But that's a really 271 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:04,200 Speaker 3: big if. 272 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:08,080 Speaker 1: Well, Now, other than the staffing issues when you were 273 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:10,719 Speaker 1: at Starbucks initially, what did you begin to notice were 274 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: some other problems? And in other words, what were the 275 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: problems that were substantial enough that guided you to want 276 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: to start a union to address them? 277 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 3: For me, it was a lack of accountability for management, 278 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 3: a lack of accountability through the company as a whole. 279 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 3: Later on, as I began to learn more and more things, 280 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 3: but really it came down to the actions of my manager. 281 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 3: A lot of the time. He's no longer with the company, 282 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 3: But it was right when I started at Camp Road. 283 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 3: I transferred from another location in Buffalo from McKinley location 284 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 3: and came to Camp Road as it opened up, and 285 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 3: we had a lot of new hires coming in. They 286 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 3: were bright, prospective people, and I was really excited to 287 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 3: work with them. And as we know, there is the 288 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 3: stereotype of the gay barista, and I think Starbucks kind 289 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 3: of loves it because we just they flock. We flocked 290 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 3: to Starbucks to work because it's seen as a progressively 291 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,640 Speaker 3: valued company and it seems like a safe place to 292 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 3: work that you might not get otherwise. So we had 293 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 3: a lot of openly gay partners, openly trans partners that 294 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 3: came into my store to work, and they were amazing people. 295 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 3: I love talking to them, I love their work ethic. 296 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:28,280 Speaker 3: They were going to be great. I remember thinking to myself, 297 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 3: these are going to be amazing people on the floor. 298 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 3: Once they get those drinks down, they are going to 299 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 3: do amazing stuff. And as time went on, over a 300 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,600 Speaker 3: period of two or three months at my location, I 301 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 3: saw all of them forced out in one way or another. 302 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 3: One by one. Partners were being outed on the floor 303 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 3: by management where I would have no idea that someone 304 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 3: was trans or I wouldn't know their gender identity because 305 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:57,280 Speaker 3: what's at my business, and they would go and say 306 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 3: it out right. There was a partner at my location 307 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 3: and she didn't have access to a vehicle. Starbucks has 308 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 3: benefits for ride share and stuff, but it's not comprehensive 309 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 3: coverage to get you to work from nine to five, 310 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 3: so she would rely on rides from friends. But she 311 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 3: was quick, she was smart. I thought if anyone was 312 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 3: going to really excel, it was going to be her. 313 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 3: And I came into work one day expecting to see 314 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 3: her on my shift and asked my fellowship supervisors, like, Hey, 315 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 3: why isn't she in? And they told me that my 316 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 3: manager had fired her, And that just left me a 317 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 3: little bit flabbergasted. I was like, what do you mean 318 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 3: he fired her? She was doing great. I'm not understanding. 319 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 3: And the reason he fired her was because she was 320 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 3: a couple minutes lately, two to five minutes late coming 321 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 3: into her shift, despite him knowing that she relies on 322 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 3: other folks to get rides, that she was trying her best. 323 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 3: She was doing amazing, and I've seen people late far more, 324 00:16:56,160 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 3: far more often than this scenario, and she was just gone. 325 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 3: And she was so excited to use the healthcare benefits 326 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:06,920 Speaker 3: that Starbucks fights because it's gender inclusive healthcare, so that 327 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:10,880 Speaker 3: she could actually begin hormone replacement therapy, she could look 328 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 3: into surgery if she so wished, and she was just 329 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 3: so optimistic, and she was so happy to be working 330 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:20,440 Speaker 3: for Starbucks. And it was just gone in a snap. 331 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 3: And I saw this same trend repeat over and over again, 332 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 3: and I just didn't know what to do. I was angry. 333 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,960 Speaker 3: I was frustrated because this isn't what this isn't what 334 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 3: I signed up for, This isn't what I expected this 335 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 3: to be like. But I didn't know how to change it. 336 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 3: So I was just sort of left frustrated. 337 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:45,120 Speaker 1: And you think that they targeted her because she was trans. 338 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 3: I do think so. I do think my manager targeted 339 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:49,440 Speaker 3: her because she was transit. 340 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: Other than the firing itself, he was the one that 341 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 1: made comments in front of other people publicly about her gender. Yes, well, 342 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 1: when you say that, I mean regardless of one's view 343 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: of transgenderism and companies being asked to pay for hormone 344 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:09,360 Speaker 1: injections and surgeries and so forth like that. I mean, 345 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 1: people are entitled to a certain amount of privacy and 346 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 1: dignity in the workplace. How did everybody else react? Because 347 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 1: what I'm getting to is, when does the moment come 348 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 1: for the unionization thing where it dawns on you and 349 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,160 Speaker 1: you start to enlist people? Or was there a group 350 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:26,119 Speaker 1: think where there were a bunch of people who you 351 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 1: were all talking to each other going, this has got 352 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 1: to change. 353 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 3: Yeah. I wish I had an easy answer in the 354 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:32,639 Speaker 3: sense that there was that sort of like click and 355 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 3: boom moment. For me, it was a lot of situations 356 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 3: like this where partners privacy wasn't being respected, where workers 357 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 3: that have been in a company for seventeen years were 358 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,240 Speaker 3: making within a dollar what I was making coming in 359 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:49,440 Speaker 3: at two years. So at that point when the unionization 360 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 3: effort kicked off, I was already ready to make something happen. 361 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 3: I wanted change. I just didn't know that options like 362 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 3: unionization existed for a Starbucks location until one of my 363 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:05,120 Speaker 3: fellow coworkers texted me and said, Hey, can we talk 364 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 3: about work stuff? But we can't do it at work? 365 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 3: And I was a little bit confused. It's like, what 366 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 3: could we possibly need to talk about work outside of work. 367 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 3: I'm not following, and he said, please, like, can you 368 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:22,000 Speaker 3: meet me at Spot Coffee. I had no idea that 369 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:25,440 Speaker 3: I would walk into Spot Coffee and be asked how 370 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 3: I felt about unionizing Starbucks. That one trip to a 371 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 3: coffee shop changed my life. 372 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: Activist Gianna Reeve. If you appreciate conversations about the labor movement, 373 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:44,119 Speaker 1: check out my episode with former California assembly Person and 374 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 1: head of the California Labor Federation Lorena Gonzalez. 375 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 4: My favorite part of the story is having to go 376 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:54,680 Speaker 4: to then Governor Jerry Brown. I mean, I'm like, oh God. 377 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 4: I got to talk to him about cheerleaders. We were 378 00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:59,199 Speaker 4: at a dinner together and I said, Governor, when you 379 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 4: have a chance, when talk about this bill I'm working on. 380 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 4: It has to do with professional cheerleaders. And he said 381 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,359 Speaker 4: I was a cheerleader, and I was like, are. 382 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:07,919 Speaker 3: You kidding me? 383 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:09,119 Speaker 4: I've hearing this. 384 00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:09,920 Speaker 1: Luck would have it. 385 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 4: He was a cheerleader in college or high school, and 386 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:14,399 Speaker 4: so I was like, oh, I think I'm going to 387 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 4: get this one. 388 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:15,640 Speaker 3: But we did. 389 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 4: I'm very proud of that. 390 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: To hear more of my conversation with Lorena Gonzalez go 391 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 1: to Here's the Thing dot org. After the break, Gianna 392 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,480 Speaker 1: Reeve shares some of the conditions that led to the 393 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:44,239 Speaker 1: unionizing effort at Starbucks. I'm Alec Baldwin, and you were 394 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:49,159 Speaker 1: listening to Here's the Thing union organizer. Gianna Reeve was 395 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:52,719 Speaker 1: a shift supervisor at the Camp Road Starbucks in the 396 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:56,640 Speaker 1: Buffalo area of upstate New York when her location filed 397 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 1: the petition to unionize in twenty twenty one. A simple 398 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:03,639 Speaker 1: meeting with one of her co workers would change the 399 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 1: course of Gianna's life. 400 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:10,720 Speaker 3: He told me about the first union meeting that was 401 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 3: going to have partners from all the different locations in 402 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:17,440 Speaker 3: Buffalo come together and talk and see if this was 403 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 3: a movement with legs. Basically, so going to this meeting. 404 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:25,000 Speaker 3: Before this, I was sort of entrenched in Camp Road 405 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:28,119 Speaker 3: in that I didn't really go to other store locations. 406 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 3: I didn't really pick up shifts there. I was really 407 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 3: focused on just doing my job at Camp Road and 408 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 3: doing it well, and I didn't have a lot of 409 00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:39,920 Speaker 3: conversations with workers outside of my store. So going into 410 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:42,959 Speaker 3: this meeting and hearing a lot of the same problems 411 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 3: existing at these other store locations in Buffalo that I 412 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:49,480 Speaker 3: think is what I would describe as like that clique 413 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 3: for me, that this isn't just a camp road issue, 414 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 3: this is a Starbucks issue, and this needs to be addressed. 415 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 3: When you have a half dozen baristas in a circle 416 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 3: all time talking to each other and going wait, wait, 417 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 3: your store has wasps too, Yeah, my partner just got 418 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:06,919 Speaker 3: sent to the er because she was stung on the floor, 419 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:10,159 Speaker 3: and conversations like that of like, oh did they take 420 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:12,879 Speaker 3: away your non slip floor mats? My store doesn't even 421 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:15,520 Speaker 3: have non slip formats. My store has carpet in the 422 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 3: back room, and just continuous stories just bouncing off each 423 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 3: other of all of these things that haven't been addressed 424 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:26,919 Speaker 3: over the years they've been at Starbucks. It was just 425 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 3: mind boggling how similar our stories were. 426 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 1: So when you mentioned the carpeting versus the non slip thing, 427 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:34,679 Speaker 1: I mean, I only want to focus on that to 428 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 1: say so there were places, there were Starbucks that were 429 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 1: making the necessary changes to protect their customers and their 430 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:44,920 Speaker 1: workers and some that weren't. And not was every Starbucks 431 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:49,439 Speaker 1: derelict in these kinds of modifications, or were some better than. 432 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:52,159 Speaker 3: Others, some were definitely better than others. A lot of 433 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,200 Speaker 3: store locations are older and that they haven't had remodels 434 00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:58,399 Speaker 3: or improvements in years. It's kind of like if you 435 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 3: had ten different things and you said pick three or 436 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 3: four out of these ten. I think every Starbucks would 437 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 3: be able to pick three or four things if I 438 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:11,880 Speaker 3: could sit here and make a list of either structural, safety, employment, 439 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:15,240 Speaker 3: or labor issues that they're having on the floor, and 440 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,960 Speaker 3: they would be able to do so. For me, it 441 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:22,520 Speaker 3: was seeing a lot of problems with labor cuts, with staffing, 442 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 3: with wages, with healthkin safety, with management accountability, and for 443 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:31,119 Speaker 3: others it was something maybe like health and safety in 444 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:33,439 Speaker 3: the sense that carpeting in the back room is an 445 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:37,160 Speaker 3: absolute no for a food service jomp. I've never heard 446 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:39,960 Speaker 3: of anything like that before. There was a point when 447 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:44,399 Speaker 3: management had come in over one hundred corporate officials that 448 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:48,439 Speaker 3: come into Buffalo and they were asking workers, you know, 449 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:50,440 Speaker 3: what can we do to make things better for you here? 450 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,120 Speaker 3: We really dropped the ball on Buffalo what can we do? 451 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:57,159 Speaker 3: And for Camp Road, a lot of it was our floors. 452 00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 3: We were a brand new store. They weren't made to 453 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 3: handle the salt that was coming in from the snow, 454 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:05,639 Speaker 3: and they were wearing down. We had our grout was 455 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:08,960 Speaker 3: just being eaten away and that creates problems with fruitflies. 456 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 3: So our store was just covered, covered and fruit flies. 457 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:14,639 Speaker 3: It was disgusting. No one wanted to work like that, 458 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:16,679 Speaker 3: No one wanted to serve food and drink like that. 459 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:18,200 Speaker 1: So interesting. 460 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 3: At some point management said we got you, no worries, 461 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 3: We'll take care of this, and they had a crew 462 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:26,639 Speaker 3: come in after clothes in the in the middle of 463 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:30,480 Speaker 3: the night and try and refinish our floors. What they 464 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 3: did was they standed away the ceilant on the tile 465 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 3: and made it porous. They essentially ruined our stores floor tiling, 466 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:43,199 Speaker 3: and it was just the problem became even worse. It 467 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 3: was exacerbated by this action. And to me that really 468 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 3: it sounds funny to say. It's a little bit of 469 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:54,399 Speaker 3: an overall theme with Starbucks' attempts at either helping in 470 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 3: quotations or union busting and saying, Okay, we're here, we're listening, making. 471 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,880 Speaker 1: The wor healthier for the workers and the customers. 472 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:05,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, let's make it healthier for you. What can 473 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:07,399 Speaker 3: we do to make it healthy and then us saying 474 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 3: something and then being like hurt, you got it, but 475 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:13,960 Speaker 3: then taking actions that don't inherently help the problem or 476 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:15,359 Speaker 3: they make the problem worse. 477 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:18,640 Speaker 1: Do you find that that's a theme that the company 478 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:23,920 Speaker 1: didn't rely enough on the workforce to glean information and 479 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:25,760 Speaker 1: what was best for those locations. 480 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:29,680 Speaker 3: Absolutely, I mean everything I'm talking about and all of 481 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:32,120 Speaker 3: these problems that are existing in my store and now 482 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 3: nationally on this level we're talking about, all of this 483 00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:36,919 Speaker 3: could have been solved by a seat at the table 484 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:41,960 Speaker 3: on Starbucks's board of directors. They have two honorary empty seats. 485 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:45,240 Speaker 3: One is for I believe customers and the other is 486 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 3: for all of the barife doesn't workers with the company. 487 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:49,639 Speaker 1: They've never filled those seats. 488 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 3: Yes, why aren't those seats filled? Because if those seats 489 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:55,119 Speaker 3: were filled, I think this company could be so much better. 490 00:25:55,680 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 3: Starbucks workers want this company to be that human, worker 491 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:04,479 Speaker 3: driven company that wants to spark change, positive change. We 492 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 3: want to see that happen. That's why we're all here. 493 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:09,160 Speaker 3: That's why we sort of were interested in the company 494 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:10,600 Speaker 3: in the first place. That's why we applied. 495 00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 1: When does the word strike, When does the word union? 496 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:16,720 Speaker 1: When does that enter the conversation and the person you 497 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:18,479 Speaker 1: were with at the other coffee shop was that they 498 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:20,880 Speaker 1: need to talk to you about work outside of work. 499 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 1: Where does it go from there? 500 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 3: That goes into that first meeting we had with other 501 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,560 Speaker 3: Starbuck partners from other locations in Buffalo, not just from 502 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:31,920 Speaker 3: the first three but from all of them, and then 503 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:35,399 Speaker 3: very rapidly after that, where right now the timeline is 504 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 3: August of twenty twenty one, and we're going forward and 505 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,679 Speaker 3: we're saying, yeah, we need this to happen. So the 506 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 3: next step in the organizing process is going to be 507 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 3: signing union cards and talking to each worker on the 508 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:54,719 Speaker 3: floor through one on one conversations. And there is this 509 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:58,760 Speaker 3: beautiful one week window where we could talk without restriction, 510 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:01,720 Speaker 3: and we could just discuss, and we could brainstorm, and 511 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 3: we could imagine what this company could look like if 512 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:06,639 Speaker 3: all of our voices were put into it, and we 513 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:12,440 Speaker 3: could really make a difference. So we got I believe 514 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:16,480 Speaker 3: between sixty six and seventy percent cards signed at Camp 515 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 3: Road in a matter of a couple of days, and 516 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:23,359 Speaker 3: we filed for union election. So there was that great 517 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 3: one week window where a lot of movement was happening, 518 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 3: a lot of progress, We had a lot of momentum, 519 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:31,960 Speaker 3: and then at the end of that week window it 520 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 3: started to shift. We put out a letter from all 521 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:40,359 Speaker 3: of the workers that initially went to the meeting about 522 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 3: our intent to organize, because it's generally good practice and 523 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 3: it signifies your attempt to organize to the company so 524 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:52,960 Speaker 3: that you're protected legally. It's funny, the more public you 525 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:57,399 Speaker 3: are about your intent to organize, the more protected you are, 526 00:27:57,480 --> 00:27:59,880 Speaker 3: and from a legal standpoint, because the company can't argue 527 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:03,480 Speaker 3: that they didn't know. It is retaliation if they try 528 00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:06,359 Speaker 3: to terminate you or reprimand to you at that point. 529 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 3: So they got her letter. We had our amazing week, 530 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:14,200 Speaker 3: and then we started to see people from Starbucks corporate 531 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:19,560 Speaker 3: flood into Buffalo. I think we've counted over one hundred 532 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:25,880 Speaker 3: different names to do what to surveil, and to intimidate, 533 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 3: and to influence. 534 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 1: And to look for grounds to terminate you. 535 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:32,399 Speaker 3: Yes, right, absolutely. 536 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:36,360 Speaker 1: How many of the people that were perceived, whether they 537 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 1: signed any paperwork or whether they were completely fully expressing 538 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 1: their support of the unionization publicly? How many of your 539 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 1: fellow workers there were terminated since they commencement of the union. 540 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:53,760 Speaker 3: Organizing a termination? I can't say exactly a number. They 541 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 3: did terminate one of our my friend that I met 542 00:28:56,920 --> 00:29:00,240 Speaker 3: in the coffee shop Will. They terminated Will for wearing 543 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 3: a suicide awareness pin. So prior to the corporate members 544 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:09,320 Speaker 3: coming into Starbucks Buffalo locations and staying there for months, 545 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 3: might I add, they had changed Starbucks policy to that 546 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 3: you can no longer wear non Starbucks affiliated pins unless 547 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:22,760 Speaker 3: it's a labor pin. This was a direct dig at 548 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 3: us wearing our union pins on the floor, so now 549 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 3: we were no longer allowed to wear them. Unfortunately, at 550 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 3: my location, we had a partner passed away by suicide 551 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 3: and we all got these pins. One of our partners 552 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 3: got these pins that say you are not Alone, and 553 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:42,240 Speaker 3: it has like the number for the one of the 554 00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:46,040 Speaker 3: suicide foundations on it, and we asked and asked and 555 00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 3: asked if we could wear these on the floor, if 556 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 3: they could just make one exception because we lost someone 557 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 3: that we all loved, And they said, sorry, but no, 558 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 3: we don't care. We're not You're not going to get 559 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:02,080 Speaker 3: an exception for this not wearing it, ignorant of the 560 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 3: fact that even making this policy change was illegal in 561 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 3: the sense that they cannot change conditions in the store location. 562 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 3: The rules that exist when you file for union election 563 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:15,800 Speaker 3: have to be the same throughout the union election. So 564 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 3: they've made this change and now they've said, we are 565 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 3: not going to make this exception. 566 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:21,720 Speaker 1: Can they moved the goal post in order to find 567 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:22,600 Speaker 1: a way to fire people. 568 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 3: Absolutely, that was a change of our it's called laboratory conditions. 569 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:29,960 Speaker 3: That was a change of for laboratory conditions. So that 570 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:34,479 Speaker 3: shouldn't have happened in the first place. And to not 571 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:38,240 Speaker 3: display the empathy that's typically so embedded in the ethos 572 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 3: at this company, and saying, can we at least wear 573 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:45,240 Speaker 3: pins to honor our partner that's passed away, the partner 574 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:47,320 Speaker 3: that everybody look them afore, can we at least have 575 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 3: that even for a week? For a day, no leeway 576 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:52,640 Speaker 3: was given. 577 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:58,760 Speaker 1: Organizer Gianna Reeve. If you're enjoying this conversation, tell a 578 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 1: friend and be sure to follow Here's the Thing on 579 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:06,880 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Spotify or wherever you'll get your podcasts 580 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 1: when we come back. Gianna Reeve shares the public's reaction 581 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:26,040 Speaker 1: to Starbucks workers striking. I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening 582 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:31,240 Speaker 1: to Here's the Thing. Starbucks union organizer Gianna Reeve attended 583 00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:35,280 Speaker 1: a meeting in Buffalo with then CEO Howard Schultz and 584 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 1: other members of Starbucks leadership in late twenty twenty one. 585 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 1: She would end the meeting confronting Schultz about the company's 586 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:48,240 Speaker 1: labor busting practices. I was curious how such an unorthodox 587 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:50,640 Speaker 1: meeting came together in the first place. 588 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:55,800 Speaker 3: The invite list was every partner in the Buffalo area, 589 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:58,400 Speaker 3: So if you're barista, you were invited. They closed our 590 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 3: store locations early to have us go to this meeting 591 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 3: at a high regency hotel, as they put it, special guest. 592 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:10,520 Speaker 3: Some of us thought it might be Taylor Swift. Others 593 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:13,080 Speaker 3: among us were like, they're going to bring out Howard. 594 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:14,760 Speaker 3: They're going to try and bring out the big guns 595 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:17,800 Speaker 3: to convince us that what we're doing isn't the right 596 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 3: move for the company. 597 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 1: How many people were in that room, would you guess. 598 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:23,800 Speaker 3: Between one hundred and two hundred. But the interesting part 599 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:26,240 Speaker 3: of that is that about a third of the people 600 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 3: that were in the room were the corporate members that 601 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:32,239 Speaker 3: had been coming to the Starbucks locations for months at 602 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:36,760 Speaker 3: that point and surveilling and harassing and impeding on the 603 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 3: flow of operations in these stores. They were there as well, 604 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:44,320 Speaker 3: wearing crisp out of the bag Green Aprons sitting and 605 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:48,600 Speaker 3: listening and just eating up on this whole experience, while 606 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:53,720 Speaker 3: there was another bunch that were just baristas from the 607 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:56,680 Speaker 3: Buffalo's stores wondering what the hell was going on. 608 00:32:57,480 --> 00:32:59,880 Speaker 1: How long did the meeting last? 609 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:03,280 Speaker 3: The lasted about an hour and a half. It was 610 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:06,720 Speaker 3: about a half an hour of the actual talks and everything, 611 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:10,400 Speaker 3: and maybe about ten minutes when Howard came out and spoke. 612 00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 1: So he was not in attendance for the whole meeting. 613 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:15,880 Speaker 3: No, he only came out for his speech and then 614 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:16,880 Speaker 3: promptly left. 615 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 1: So he was actually interested in talking but not listening. 616 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:23,080 Speaker 3: Yes, he wanted to talk, but not listen. And when 617 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:25,800 Speaker 3: I believe there was there was a little bit of 618 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 3: tension in the room because as many as there were 619 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:34,080 Speaker 3: Green Apron extras, there were also people in the front row. 620 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:37,520 Speaker 3: I sat in the front row with another organizing partner 621 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 3: from Sheridan Bailey's location named James, and we sat in 622 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:46,000 Speaker 3: the front row together because we had talked prior a 623 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 3: bunch of us and said wouldn't be crazy if someone 624 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:51,200 Speaker 3: asked Howard Schultz after he was done speaking to sign 625 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 3: our set of fair election principles which provide us more protections. 626 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 3: It provides union workers equal time. If they're going to 627 00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 3: have captive meetings with workers, we would be given essentially 628 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:04,280 Speaker 3: the same time. It would be a document saying that 629 00:34:04,320 --> 00:34:07,080 Speaker 3: we're not going to threaten union workers anymore. We're extending 630 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:10,040 Speaker 3: an olive branch. So he said, wouldn't it be crazy 631 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:13,960 Speaker 3: if someone did this? And someone asked? And for some 632 00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:20,600 Speaker 3: reason in my stupid bravery or just impulse or adrenaline, 633 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 3: I said, yeah, wouldn't it? And I took the paper 634 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:25,040 Speaker 3: and went and sat in the front row and I 635 00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:27,960 Speaker 3: listened to his whole speech so in depth. I also 636 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:31,400 Speaker 3: listened to the podcast episode he was on with you Alec, 637 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:34,239 Speaker 3: and I noticed a lot of the same beats, the 638 00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:37,200 Speaker 3: same story of this is the company that he wanted 639 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:39,839 Speaker 3: to be, that he modeled this after what his father 640 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:42,399 Speaker 3: didn't have. He wanted this to be a company that 641 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:43,919 Speaker 3: his father would be proud to work from. 642 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:45,880 Speaker 1: The projects yes. 643 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:52,480 Speaker 3: As he often likes to say yes. And so going 644 00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:55,920 Speaker 3: into that and just listening and hearing the same story 645 00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:57,880 Speaker 3: now over and over again now that I've heard it, 646 00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:03,239 Speaker 3: and wondering, wouldn't his father have wanted union membership for 647 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:07,080 Speaker 3: himself and wanted representation and protections at work. And during 648 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:11,279 Speaker 3: this Congress meeting with Howard, Senator Ed Marquis brought this up, 649 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:15,040 Speaker 3: and that was another point in which Schultz bristled and 650 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:19,360 Speaker 3: became visibly annoyed or frustrated with this line of questioning, 651 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:22,719 Speaker 3: even though it's something that baristas have been thinking for 652 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:27,440 Speaker 3: a while now. Because you can't separate Howard from Starbucks, 653 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:32,160 Speaker 3: and this message and this idea is embedded into the company. 654 00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:35,560 Speaker 3: And as we're looking for ways to meet the company 655 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:37,919 Speaker 3: better by having a worker focus, you just can't help 656 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:41,440 Speaker 3: but think of that and wonder what's happened. And I 657 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:44,520 Speaker 3: think what's happened is that the workers don't have a voice, 658 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:46,760 Speaker 3: and we need to see that shift. 659 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:48,319 Speaker 1: Shultz step down. 660 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:52,240 Speaker 3: Correct, Yes, he's replaced. He went from Howard to Kevin 661 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:55,400 Speaker 3: Johnson to Howard to now Laxman. 662 00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:59,759 Speaker 1: Where is the effort? Now? Where's the unionization at Starbucks? Now? 663 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:04,440 Speaker 3: Right now we are at over I believe three hundred 664 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:09,759 Speaker 3: unionized locations and counting where filing petitions nearly every day. 665 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:15,799 Speaker 3: We are continuing to build power within the Starbucks locations 666 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:19,000 Speaker 3: and find baristas that are experiencing the same problems that 667 00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:22,440 Speaker 3: we have because after Buffalo, and we won in Buffalo, 668 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:23,680 Speaker 3: just a monumental win. 669 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:27,840 Speaker 1: So the Buffalo location is unionized, yes, and everybody that 670 00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:31,280 Speaker 1: works there is in the union. Everybody, Yes, What union 671 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:32,239 Speaker 1: are they affiliated with? 672 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:36,520 Speaker 3: We're affiliated with Workers United, So we aren't Starbucks Workers United. 673 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 3: Affiliated with Workers United. We don't pay dues until we 674 00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:44,000 Speaker 3: have a contract, and that's been kind of the sludging point. 675 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:47,080 Speaker 3: Starbucks has not really been bargaining in good faith with us. 676 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:49,520 Speaker 3: There have been times where we'd come to the table, 677 00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:51,960 Speaker 3: we'd set up a meeting, it would be the briests 678 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:55,759 Speaker 3: coming in and Starbucks' lawyers would show up for two 679 00:36:55,760 --> 00:37:00,719 Speaker 3: minutes and then leave and gone. Nothing negotiated, nothing really discussed. 680 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:03,680 Speaker 3: And we've been seeing that sledge happen time and time 681 00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:06,160 Speaker 3: again with these bargaining sessions that we've been trying to have. 682 00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:09,120 Speaker 3: We have our non economic proposals all ready to go, 683 00:37:09,600 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 3: they're just not coming to the table. 684 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:13,759 Speaker 1: How can you compel them to sign the contract? How 685 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:14,400 Speaker 1: does that work? 686 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:17,640 Speaker 3: Well, I'm so glad you asked. That's going to come 687 00:37:17,719 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 3: from building power within our consumer base. Consumers. You think 688 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:24,680 Speaker 3: that they would be jumping at the chance to sort 689 00:37:24,719 --> 00:37:26,920 Speaker 3: of vote with their dollars and say no, I can 690 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:29,560 Speaker 3: take a stand by not buying Starbucks. But the thing 691 00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:31,920 Speaker 3: is is that a lot of customers still don't know 692 00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:35,360 Speaker 3: that this is happening within Starbucks locations. They don't realize 693 00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:38,200 Speaker 3: that Starbucks has been putting on one of the most 694 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:42,040 Speaker 3: aggressive union busting campaigns in modern history. So a lot 695 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:45,000 Speaker 3: of the next steps are going to be educating consumers 696 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:48,040 Speaker 3: and moving forward and letting them know what's happening in 697 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:51,120 Speaker 3: these store locations and saying like, are you going to 698 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:53,640 Speaker 3: not cross the picket line when you see us out 699 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:56,839 Speaker 3: on strike? And we've had large strikes where there's been 700 00:37:56,840 --> 00:37:58,919 Speaker 3: over one hundred locations on strike at any given point 701 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:01,719 Speaker 3: during some of the companies largest days of like Red 702 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:03,520 Speaker 3: Cup Day, you come in, you get a free red cup, 703 00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:06,239 Speaker 3: you get your holiday drink, and you go. We had 704 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:08,600 Speaker 3: strikes going at over one hundred store locations across the 705 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:09,759 Speaker 3: country on daysline. 706 00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:12,719 Speaker 1: And the strike entail people just not working, yeah, work stop. 707 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:15,920 Speaker 1: It was just no service. People can't say to coffee. 708 00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:16,800 Speaker 3: Wow, no, you cannot. 709 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:19,560 Speaker 1: What was the public's voice in that? What would people 710 00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:20,920 Speaker 1: say to you while you were striking. 711 00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 3: There's always a couple people that aren't too happy when 712 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,040 Speaker 3: they see a picket line for whatever reason or other. 713 00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:28,360 Speaker 3: But a lot of the times it was customers being like, wow, 714 00:38:28,480 --> 00:38:30,600 Speaker 3: I didn't know that. I had no idea. I've been 715 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:32,920 Speaker 3: coming here for the past however long, and I just 716 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:36,480 Speaker 3: had no knowledge of this. I'll go to Spot coffee 717 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:38,440 Speaker 3: or something instead, or like we point them to one 718 00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:40,880 Speaker 3: of the unionized coffee shops in Buffalo. Points like that. 719 00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:43,760 Speaker 3: On strikes, a lot of people are enthusiastic, and especially 720 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:46,160 Speaker 3: in the Buffalo area. Buffalo's a union town. We have 721 00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:48,880 Speaker 3: higher union density than a lot of other locations across 722 00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:52,359 Speaker 3: the country. So chances are that you are in a union, 723 00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:54,040 Speaker 3: or you know someone that's in a union, or family 724 00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:56,200 Speaker 3: members in a union. So you see a picket light 725 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:57,799 Speaker 3: and you're you're not crossing that. 726 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:00,759 Speaker 1: Well, let me just say thank you so much for 727 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:04,920 Speaker 1: your courage and your intelligence. I mean, you really really 728 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:08,280 Speaker 1: are are somebody who you've obviously examined this from every 729 00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:13,440 Speaker 1: angle and you've brought about what's important change. Because when 730 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:17,840 Speaker 1: I saw those people at the Manchester Vermont Starbucks, I 731 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:21,240 Speaker 1: mean working themselves, I mean it was crazy. It was crazy, 732 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:23,640 Speaker 1: and when you sit there and say you'd like to 733 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:26,680 Speaker 1: have those conditions be improved, you're to be committed for 734 00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:28,400 Speaker 1: what you've done. It's really, really truly amazing. 735 00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:31,400 Speaker 3: Thank you. I really appreciate it. Thank you for having me. 736 00:39:35,239 --> 00:39:40,600 Speaker 1: My thanks to Starbucks Workers United organizer Gianna Reeve. This 737 00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:44,600 Speaker 1: episode was recorded at CDM Studios in New York City. 738 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:48,720 Speaker 1: Were produced by Kathleen Russo, Zach MacNeice, and Maureen Hoben. 739 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:53,080 Speaker 1: Our engineer is Frank Imperial. Our social media manager is 740 00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:56,440 Speaker 1: Daniel Gingrich. I'm Alec Baldwin. Here's the thing that is 741 00:39:56,440 --> 00:40:13,040 Speaker 1: brought to you by iHeart Radio.