1 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: Cool media. 2 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 2: It could happen here. I'm Garrison Davis, and yeah, it's happening. 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 2: The past few years, I've been writing about how the 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 2: religious right has been trying to roll back trans rights, 5 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 2: take away gender affirming health care, and essentially remove trans 6 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,119 Speaker 2: people from public life. And the day that I'm writing this, 7 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 2: President Trump just issued an executive order aiming to ban 8 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,479 Speaker 2: gender affirming health care for everyone below the age of 9 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 2: nineteen in the United States, with promises to weaponize the 10 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 2: Justice Department and alter the national Health guidelines for gender 11 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:43,599 Speaker 2: affirming care. And unfortunately this is just the start. But 12 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 2: this won't be a wallowing in the Doom and Gloom episode, 13 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 2: nor will I be laying out the fool proof solution 14 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 2: to get us out of this predicament. Instead, we'll be 15 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 2: hearing from two people who are trying to do something 16 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 2: to affect change in the physical world. Last month, Mia 17 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:06,479 Speaker 2: and I talked with Neha and Cassie, who are organizers 18 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 2: and baristas with Starbucks workers Unite It, and they also 19 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 2: co facilitate that union's trans rights action committee called Track 20 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 2: And specifically the topic of this episode is how to 21 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,959 Speaker 2: use union organizing as a way to fight for trans 22 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 2: rights and secure access to gender affirming healthcare, which is 23 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 2: unfortunately an increasingly critical issue. We've already had conservative states 24 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 2: like Tennessee pressuring private insurance companies to drop covering gender 25 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 2: affirming care by blocking insurers from contracting with the state's 26 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 2: medicaid program, basically holding it hostage, and now with the 27 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 2: federal government threatening gender affirming care and seemingly more and 28 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 2: more restrictions kind of on the horizon. Working outside the 29 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 2: state and not relying on government programs like Medicare and 30 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 2: Medicaid will only become more necessary, and union organizing is 31 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 2: one way to do that. A union contract, union infrastructure, 32 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 2: and the collective resources of you and your fellow union 33 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 2: workers can help protect trans people in the workplace and 34 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 2: get us the things we need. If you already have 35 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 2: a union at your workplace, you can get more involved 36 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 2: and fight to prioritize trans rights. And if you don't 37 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 2: have a union, you can work to secure access to 38 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 2: gender affirm and care through unionizing your workplace and having 39 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 2: healthcare protections as a core part of your contract. For 40 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 2: more on that topic, I'm going to play the conversation 41 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 2: between my fellow union member Mia and Neha and Cassie 42 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 2: from Starbucks Workers United, and I'll occasionally pop back in 43 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 2: to provide some context. Here's Cassie. 44 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,920 Speaker 3: When you fight for a collective bargaining agreement, a contract 45 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 3: between union workers and their employer, you can fight for 46 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 3: gender affirming care to be included in the healthcare that's provided, 47 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 3: and make sure that that healthcare is affordable and actually 48 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 3: usable by the people working there, and that their wages 49 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 3: are adequate to cover out of pocket expenses, including travel 50 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 3: expenses if you live in a state that's coming under threat. 51 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 2: But it is not just healthcare that is under threat 52 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 2: right now. Just days into office, Trump already started to 53 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 2: roll back Biden era federal discrimination protections. Last Monday, the 54 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 2: Trump aadmin sent a memo ordering a freeze to all 55 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 2: federal grants, loans, and aid, requiring a sort of audit 56 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 2: to ensure the recipients of those funds use the money 57 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 2: in a way that quote conforms to the administration priorities unquote, 58 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 2: and not to promote quote DEI and woke gender ideology unquote. 59 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 2: On Tuesday, a judge temporarily halted the order, and on Wednesday, 60 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 2: the White House revoked the directive. But this clearly demonstrates 61 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 2: what the new priorities are for the conservative government, and 62 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 2: they will most certainly try this again, probably in a 63 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 2: more targeted discriminatory fashion to limit the general backlash. But 64 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 2: even as the government starts openly allowing discrimination or even 65 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 2: encouraging it, discrimination protections is still something that unions can 66 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 2: write into their contract. 67 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 3: Having non discrimination language in a contract that covers gender 68 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 3: identity is a really critical way to improve not just 69 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:30,479 Speaker 3: for yourself, but then also we talk about these things 70 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 3: like hiring discrimination. If you get that kind of language 71 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 3: in a contract at a union job, that's going to 72 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 3: help everyone who comes after you. Because additionally, as a union, 73 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 3: you have the mechanism of enforcement of aggrievance and an 74 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 3: arbitration procedure. Right, that's sort of, you know, the critical 75 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 3: in addition to obviously all the kind of actions you 76 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 3: can perform. And you know, we can talk about what 77 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 3: things might look like without the NLRA, but for now 78 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 3: we have grievance and arbitration procedures still. And even in 79 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:03,599 Speaker 3: states where there are legal protections against employment discrimination for 80 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 3: trans people, like here in California, the bar to defending 81 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 3: yourself legally is obviously a lot higher, including financially than 82 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 3: defending yourself through a grievance procedure at a union job. Right, 83 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 3: a grievance procedure at a union job is way more 84 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 3: accessible to the average working person than hiring a lawyer 85 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:26,160 Speaker 3: and going through a legal system that is totally stacked 86 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:29,479 Speaker 3: against you and in favor of the wealthy. Having a 87 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 3: union to defend you, you know, with the collective resources 88 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 3: of your union that you're part of, and having your 89 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:39,799 Speaker 3: shop steward or you be a shop steward and filing 90 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 3: those grievances yourself. It's so much more accessible for regular 91 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 3: workers to get enforcement when they are discriminated against. And 92 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 3: that's obviously not only relevant for trans people, but it 93 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 3: is certainly relevant for trans people. 94 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 2: Now, if you don't have union organizing experience, this could 95 00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 2: all seem a little intimidating, even if you are already 96 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 2: have a pre existing union at your workplace. Mia has 97 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,159 Speaker 2: done a whole bunch of episodes on unions and labor 98 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 2: organizing on this podcast. You could certainly look to you 99 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 2: for more information and a bit of encouragement. In twenty 100 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 2: twenty three, Neha co founded TRACK the Trans Rights Action Committee, 101 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 2: which is a subcommittee of the Starbucks union that was 102 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 2: started to help advocate for trans rights within the union 103 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 2: and share information about the challenges trans workers were experiencing. 104 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:32,719 Speaker 2: We asked Neha about the process of getting this focus 105 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 2: on securing trans healthcare through your union to be something 106 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 2: that the union collectively fights for. 107 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 4: The way that our union started focusing on trans healthcare 108 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 4: as one of the core issues, like we weren't organizing 109 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 4: around and all started with a conversation with like a 110 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 4: regional staffer here in Oklahoma. I have like a regular 111 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 4: check and call with my staffer, and this was like 112 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 4: two two and a half years ago, and he was 113 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:02,839 Speaker 4: just like asking, you know, what's going on? 114 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:04,359 Speaker 5: What are you concerned about? 115 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 4: And I was like, well, I'm having some issues with 116 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 4: like accessing healthcare. And he not heard like how difficult 117 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 4: it was for like trans people to access healthcare and Starbucks. 118 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 4: He wasn't aware of like how expensive it could be. 119 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 4: And as I started talking to him, he was like, 120 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 4: hold on, let me like set up a meeting with 121 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 4: some other people. I think they need to hear this too. 122 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 4: So then we have like a follow up meeting with 123 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 4: more like staff and other organizers. I talked about these 124 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 4: issues again, and one thing led to another thing, and 125 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 4: they ended up encouraging me to form a subcommittee with 126 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 4: their union for trans workers to kind of like build 127 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 4: community for us and connect us, but also hear more 128 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 4: stories from trans workers about the struggles that they were facing, 129 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 4: specifically in accessing healthcare. And so that's kind of how 130 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 4: TRACKS started. And it's been really moving to see how 131 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 4: over the past like two three years, this went from 132 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 4: like an issue that was affecting like a minority of 133 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 4: a minority of workers, right, Like, it's not like every 134 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 4: single work at Starbucks is trying to like have facial 135 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 4: comminization surgery or anything like that. 136 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 5: Right, This issue that. 137 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 4: Was affecting like a small step set of us ended 138 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 4: up becoming like one of the biggest issues we are 139 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 4: organizing around. It makes me really emotional when I think 140 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 4: about like how much my union coworkers and like my 141 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 4: comrades like actually like fucking care about trans people. Right 142 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:42,839 Speaker 4: of kind of like how TRACKS started and how we 143 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:46,079 Speaker 4: started to organize around trans healthcare specifically. 144 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 3: It's been a focus for us for a long time. 145 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 3: Also in part because the initial you know, our public 146 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 3: bargaining proposals that were released early on when we first 147 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 3: formulated our demands included improvements to gender affirming care at Starbucks. 148 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 3: And part of that's because there were trans people involved 149 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 3: in writing those initial demands, right and you know, Nehaw 150 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 3: was involved nationally in the campaign and had the opportunity 151 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 3: and the encouragement to start track. You know, we have 152 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 3: to be part of it, I think is on some level, 153 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 3: you know, the most basic prerequisite for everything that came 154 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 3: after is because trans people have been involved with this 155 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,680 Speaker 3: campaign from the beginning. We do have so much support 156 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 3: and solidarity from our coworkers and from our fellow union comrades, 157 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 3: regardless of whether they're SIS or trans, And I think 158 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 3: part of that is because we've really showed up and 159 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 3: done the work. This again goes to that kind of 160 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 3: like false narrative of there's like some kind of contention 161 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:56,680 Speaker 3: between workers rights and trans rights. It's like trans people 162 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 3: have been super motivated to get involved in this campaign 163 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 3: and for the rights and benefits for every worker at Starbucks. 164 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 3: Other workers have seen that, seen the way we've been 165 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 3: involved and dedicated, and that's given them the sympathy and 166 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 3: solidarity to stand by us for an issue that affects us. 167 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 3: Very you know directly and somewhat narrowly compared to a 168 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:21,439 Speaker 3: lot of the other things we're fighting for. So yeah, 169 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 3: on some level, I think it comes down to unions 170 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:28,559 Speaker 3: are a place where trans people can get involved in 171 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 3: political life in a way that's hard to do in 172 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 3: other parts of American political life, and you get to 173 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 3: build that solidarity, and if you're there at the table, 174 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 3: you have a chance to highlight the issues that are 175 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 3: important to us. And if you're fighting for everyone else, 176 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 3: they're going to want to fight for you too. 177 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 2: Track's logo says trans rights are labor rights, a phrase 178 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:51,959 Speaker 2: one of Nahe's co workers came up with to express 179 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 2: the idea that even if your state becomes an unsafe 180 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 2: place for queer and trans people, trans people will still 181 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 2: fight to a sure that their workplace, their store, is 182 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 2: a safe place for any trans person who works there. 183 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:09,320 Speaker 2: As the functioning of the state and the federal government 184 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 2: becomes more and more alienated and distant, or in many cases, 185 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 2: increasingly hostile to the likes of you and me, one 186 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:19,680 Speaker 2: of the few ways we can still exert power over 187 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:23,960 Speaker 2: our lives is through unions. Regardless of whether you live 188 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:29,400 Speaker 2: in Portland, Oregon or Oklahoma City, and specifically as access 189 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 2: to trans healthcare becomes more and more of a growing issue, 190 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 2: this is becoming more of a core issue itself that 191 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 2: you can organize around and can actually build a union around. 192 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 3: Lots of different struggles have been highlighted in our campaign. 193 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:48,200 Speaker 3: You know, we have really made racial justice a major 194 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 3: priority as well. I mean, obviously economic justice is at 195 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 3: the core of any union struggle, but you know, we're 196 00:11:55,840 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 3: really invested in making sure all workers are in included 197 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 3: in this movement and their specific concerns are represented as 198 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:07,240 Speaker 3: well as our general shared concerns. And as more and 199 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:10,199 Speaker 3: more things get taken away at the level of federal 200 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 3: politics and state politics in many places, people will be 201 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 3: looking for recourse. It's like, how do I get back 202 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 3: the stability, the protections, the dignity, the power that I've lost, 203 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 3: Particularly if you know some of these folks are not 204 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 3: super democratically accountable. People will be looking for how they 205 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:33,960 Speaker 3: can build power and how they can find security when 206 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,319 Speaker 3: the state is not providing it and when the state's 207 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 3: actively undermining it. Actually, and unions are one of the 208 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 3: truly critical, irreplaceable answers for protecting yourself, for protecting the 209 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:50,680 Speaker 3: people you work with, for protecting your community and for 210 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 3: taking back some of the things that they're trying to 211 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:57,439 Speaker 3: take away from you, whether that's on the job protections, 212 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:02,200 Speaker 3: whether that's economic equity, whether that is your access to 213 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:08,239 Speaker 3: trans healthcare, whether that's protections from racism or misogynistic discrimination 214 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 3: in your job and harassment, all of these things. If 215 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 3: the state steps away, people should and will look to 216 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 3: labor organizing as the answer instead. 217 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 4: Our ability to build power in this way is a 218 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 4: way that we maintain hope so that we can keep 219 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 4: organizing for a better future. I think one of the 220 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 4: best tools like these fucking fascist freaks have is making 221 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:36,680 Speaker 4: us feel like there's no hope. It's beating us down, 222 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 4: it's making us feel like we have no power. It's 223 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 4: making us feel completely disconnected from like the government, our workplace, 224 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 4: all of these different things that like exert power over us. 225 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 4: And I think labor is such a direct way to 226 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 4: give people that power back. 227 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 6: Yeah, morales a terran a struggle, and this is the 228 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,920 Speaker 6: way that you can fight there. That does other things 229 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 6: too at the same time, which is important, And. 230 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 2: Do you know what else is important? Being subservient to 231 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 2: the capitalist impulse of pivoting to ads. Okay, we are back. 232 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 2: Here is more of our interview with Starbucks Workers United. 233 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 6: Yeah, I'm excited to talk to you because things have 234 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 6: been very bad. And one of the specific ways that 235 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 6: they've been very bad is that there's become this framing 236 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 6: and this has been around for a while, but it's 237 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 6: getting sort of increasingly adopted in mainstream circles that trans 238 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 6: rights are opposed to workers' rights, and that's just nonsense. 239 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 6: So I wanted to sort of start there with a 240 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 6: bit of a discussion about so the ways in which 241 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 6: the trans struggle is a worker struggle. 242 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 4: The trans community is like disproportionately like impoverished, like a 243 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 4: lot of us are struggling to just pay for rent, 244 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 4: are basic like needs, right, Yeah, I think that's framing 245 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 4: assumes that like all trans people are like, I don't know, rich, working, 246 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 4: attack or some shit like that, which just is not true. 247 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 1: Yeah. 248 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 6: The actual stats, by the way, these are running from 249 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,080 Speaker 6: the US Trans Survey, which is the largest survey of 250 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 6: trans people in the US. Thirty four percent poverty rate 251 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:20,960 Speaker 6: than the national number for assist people is eleven percent. 252 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 6: The unemployment rate is eighteen percent. The US unemployment rate 253 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 6: assist people is four percent, eighteen percent is nineteen thirty 254 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 6: six great depression levels of unemployment. Thirty percent of trans 255 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 6: people have experienced homelessness in their lives. The national rate 256 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 6: is about seven percent, And those numbers are actually very 257 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 6: misleading because it's actually much worse than that, because these 258 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 6: demographics skew young significantly because of both the shortness of 259 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 6: our life expectancy and how often we get killed. And 260 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 6: also there's more people who are realizing that they're trans 261 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:53,440 Speaker 6: now than there ever has before. So those homelessness numbers, 262 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:56,119 Speaker 6: we are we are racking up a rate of homelessness 263 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 6: that is four times higher than the regular rate, and 264 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 6: we're doing iticately less years than it takes the cispopulation 265 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 6: to rack up these levels of homelessness. So things are 266 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 6: extremely bad for trans people. Transfems make like sixty cents 267 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 6: on the dollar of like the average American worker. 268 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think you see that in our union 269 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 3: we have a lot of worker leaders who are trans. 270 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 3: It's a noticeable obvious fact about our unions that trans 271 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 3: people have really been deeply involved since day one at 272 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 3: all levels of this union. And I think part of 273 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 3: that is because Starbucks has been associated as a place 274 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 3: of economic stability and opportunity for trans healthcare for a 275 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 3: community that has relatively few opportunities. I mean, if you're 276 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:48,720 Speaker 3: talking about eighteen percent unemployment, then you're talking about people 277 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 3: who certainly are going to have difficulty getting employer provided healthcare, 278 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 3: let alone employer provided healthcare that's going to include gender 279 00:16:56,400 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 3: affirming care, right, And so Starbucks has been held up 280 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 3: as an opportunity for that for a lot of people. 281 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 3: It's obviously drawn a lot of us to the company. 282 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:11,639 Speaker 3: Many of us started working there for that exact reason, 283 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 3: and then you know, have discovered in many cases that 284 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:19,200 Speaker 3: it's actually not so accessible. You know, I can say 285 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 3: in my case, it's definitely one reason I started working 286 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 3: at Starbucks because I heard like, Hey, if you want 287 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,679 Speaker 3: facial feminization surgery, go work at Starbucks. That was a 288 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 3: community tip. And then it turned out that I made 289 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:34,480 Speaker 3: so little money that I qualified for Medicaid, And in California, 290 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:38,200 Speaker 3: where I'm lucky enough to live for now, Medicaid covers 291 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 3: those things and is more affordable and accessible than the 292 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 3: Starbucks healthcare actually was, So I ended up relying on 293 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:48,679 Speaker 3: Medicaid instead. And I think a lot of us have 294 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 3: felt and seen that dissonance between coming to this company 295 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:56,119 Speaker 3: looking for opportunity, looking for a place that is inclusive 296 00:17:56,359 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 3: and will hire trans workers, it says, and a stense 297 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:03,399 Speaker 3: offers trans healthcare, but then finding out where those gaps 298 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:06,919 Speaker 3: are and realizing like, actually it's better for me to 299 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:09,240 Speaker 3: stay on Medicaid, which is easy to do because I 300 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 3: make so little money at this job. It takes that 301 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:16,160 Speaker 3: shine off. And I think, you know, our economic vulnerability 302 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:18,359 Speaker 3: as a group is precisely what drove a lot of 303 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 3: us to seek improvements here. It's related to our transness, sure, 304 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:27,879 Speaker 3: but it's also like just fundamental working class issues. We 305 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:30,679 Speaker 3: need better wages, we need better healthcare. You know, that's 306 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:33,240 Speaker 3: something everyone benefits from and everyone can relate to. 307 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:35,640 Speaker 4: And I mean, I can also attest to the fact 308 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:41,520 Speaker 4: that I started at Starbucks five years ago because I 309 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:45,080 Speaker 4: needed to have access with gender firming care. I was 310 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:48,960 Speaker 4: coming from a situation where I came out as a teenager. 311 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 5: I was disowned and kicked out on my family. I 312 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:53,920 Speaker 5: didn't have access to college. 313 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 4: I was like basically on my own right, and I 314 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:01,480 Speaker 4: had no idea how I'm going tomatically transition, And like 315 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 4: older trans women in my life told me to apply 316 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 4: to Starbucks. And it was also like one of those 317 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 4: things where like, again, I live in Oklahoma. It's not 318 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 4: like there's a ton of employers who are like super 319 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:14,920 Speaker 4: excited to hire trans women. 320 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 5: Right. 321 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 6: That's something I also want to highlight because I don't 322 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 6: think people understand this at all. If there's cysts is 323 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:25,040 Speaker 6: that the level of employment discrimination is staggering. It is, however, 324 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 6: hard if you are a SI person you think it 325 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 6: is to find a job, it is like thirty times 326 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:32,639 Speaker 6: harder if you are trans. It's unbelievably difficult. And the 327 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 6: promise of just like any job that will hire a 328 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 6: trans person is a huge deal because you know, otherwise 329 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:42,360 Speaker 6: odds are you walk in the door and they take 330 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 6: one look at you and like, you know, you're fucked, right, And. 331 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:49,560 Speaker 4: I think that's how Starbucks kind of like advertises itself 332 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,879 Speaker 4: too queer in trans workers, right, And I think this 333 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 4: is reflected in the demographic of my store. Ninety nine 334 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 4: percent of my coworkers are queer. A lot of us 335 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 4: are trans. There's like a lot of trans women who 336 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 4: work at my store. I actually don't even know if 337 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:07,160 Speaker 4: we have a single straight coworker actually we have later 338 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:11,679 Speaker 4: one token like diversity higher, but he literally just transfers. 339 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:14,359 Speaker 4: I think it's all gay people, but no, like all 340 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:18,440 Speaker 4: of us applied to Starbucks because like, what other options 341 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 4: do we have? Right, And again, in my case, I 342 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 4: applied to Starbucks because I needed access to gender firming care. 343 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:27,800 Speaker 4: And over like the five years that I've worked here, 344 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 4: I've realized that while that benefit might look good on paper, 345 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 4: in practice, it's hard to actually qualify for that healthcare. 346 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 4: It can be completely unaffordable for a lot of us. Right, 347 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 4: Like last year, I made sixteen thousand dollars in total 348 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:53,480 Speaker 4: from Starbucks, and like a disproportionate amount of that income 349 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 4: was just going towards healthcare, which doesn't even take into 350 00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:59,639 Speaker 4: an account like rent or bills. 351 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 5: Or anything else. Like we're struggling to just fucking get by. 352 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 2: Something that Mia pointed out is that one of the 353 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 2: few places trans people are actually overrepresented is in union organizing. 354 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 2: Because trans people don't really have a safety net, fewer 355 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:20,400 Speaker 2: of us can turn to or rely on family support, 356 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,400 Speaker 2: so union organizing is one of the ways we can 357 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:25,360 Speaker 2: directly fight for a better life. 358 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 4: But the current political climate as it is, it's even scarier. 359 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:32,159 Speaker 4: I mean, Cassie was talking about not being able to 360 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:36,440 Speaker 4: actually access the Starbucks healthcare, and I've defined other ways 361 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:40,040 Speaker 4: to pay for gender firm and care, but I mean, 362 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:43,919 Speaker 4: we're looking at like a Trump administration that could possibly 363 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:47,639 Speaker 4: be trying to make it impossible for anyone to use 364 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 4: Medicare and Medicaid to cover gender firm and care. We're 365 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 4: looking at state by state like healthcare vans. Right, I 366 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 4: think it's more important than ever to organize and focus 367 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 4: on trans writes and our access to healthcare, our wages, 368 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 4: our safety at the workplace. Where else are we going 369 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 4: to protect ourselves like that? 370 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:12,879 Speaker 2: The Starbucks union is also fighting for guaranteed scheduling and 371 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:16,359 Speaker 2: better staffing in stores, and this relates directly to a 372 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:20,200 Speaker 2: worker's ability to access health care and gender affirming healthcare. 373 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:24,840 Speaker 2: Part of Starbucks healthcare being somewhat inaccessible is that employees 374 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:27,400 Speaker 2: have to work a certain threshold of hours to qualify 375 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:31,439 Speaker 2: for benefits, including healthcare. Failure to get enough hours of 376 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:35,160 Speaker 2: work scheduled means losing access to your own health care, 377 00:22:35,359 --> 00:22:38,359 Speaker 2: and this kind of reflects a more subtle form of 378 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:39,640 Speaker 2: employment discrimination. 379 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:42,480 Speaker 4: I can speak to this. I've heard this from many 380 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 4: other workers, it is such a struggle just to get 381 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 4: the minimum amount of hours to keep your benefits. I 382 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 4: was talking to another worker who was telling me about 383 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:58,440 Speaker 4: how she had to like literally cry and beg her 384 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 4: manager to sketch her enough so she didn't lose access 385 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:05,040 Speaker 4: to gender firm and care. And of course this manager 386 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 4: was scheduling enough hours for other workers who weren't trans women, right, 387 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,680 Speaker 4: And so I've been having like protections in a contract 388 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:18,119 Speaker 4: that guarantee a certain number of hours that are scheduling. 389 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 4: That kind of thing also makes it easier for us 390 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:24,439 Speaker 4: to maintain and keep the benefits that we need. 391 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:29,920 Speaker 2: And obviously this benefits all workers because everyone benefits from 392 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,720 Speaker 2: having enough hours to actually get the money you need 393 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 2: to live. The Starbucks union started the official bargaining process 394 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 2: with the company last April, and they were supposed to 395 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:43,440 Speaker 2: have their final bargaining session last December, based on a 396 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,480 Speaker 2: shared expectation that the contract would be closed and ratified 397 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:48,919 Speaker 2: by the end of twenty twenty four. 398 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:54,480 Speaker 4: So after nine months of bargaining, it's December or expecting 399 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:57,680 Speaker 4: to finish up contract bargaining, and after like a few 400 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:00,439 Speaker 4: months of like delaying and not really giving us a 401 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:05,199 Speaker 4: counter on wages or benefits. Starbucks like finally gave us 402 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:09,439 Speaker 4: a counter proposal, I mean like counter proposal. It was 403 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 4: literally like a page and their counter proposal was basically 404 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 4: no changes to benefits whatsoever and a one point five 405 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:26,679 Speaker 4: percent raise if non union stores received a raise that 406 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,160 Speaker 4: was less than that. For context, one point five percent 407 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:33,240 Speaker 4: for most of us is thirty cents. So yeah, after 408 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:36,679 Speaker 4: nine months, that was the best they could do. So 409 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:41,920 Speaker 4: it wasn't really a serious like counter proposal, I mean, frankly, 410 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 4: it was a fucking insult. 411 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:47,959 Speaker 2: So with less than a week's notice, they organized the 412 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:52,879 Speaker 2: biggest ULP strike in the union's history, resulting in five 413 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:56,680 Speaker 2: thousand baristas at over three hundred stores across the country 414 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,639 Speaker 2: going on strike on Christmas Eve. Now, this is not 415 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,919 Speaker 2: the kind of open ended, ongoing strike that you're probably 416 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:07,480 Speaker 2: more familiar with. A ULP strike refers to a short 417 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:11,919 Speaker 2: term strike action directly tied to an unfair labor practice, 418 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,359 Speaker 2: which is any act by an employer that violates a 419 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 2: worker's legal rights, and unlike ongoing strikes, ULP strikes can 420 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:25,159 Speaker 2: happen anytime, not just during contract bargaining. In fact, the 421 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 2: Starbucks union has utilized ULP strikes the past few years 422 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:33,360 Speaker 2: to address unfair labor practices. Part of the shared agreement 423 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 2: to finish the contract before the year's end was to 424 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:40,280 Speaker 2: also resolve outstanding unfair labor practices by the end of 425 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:44,960 Speaker 2: twenty twenty four, which did not happen and thus the strikes. 426 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 2: And this was a super tight turnaround to organize strikes 427 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 2: of this scale. By having a representative or delegate from 428 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:55,359 Speaker 2: each store in the union present at bargaining, which is 429 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:58,879 Speaker 2: hundreds of workers, that provides a direct link to every 430 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,920 Speaker 2: store in the campaign. This was how the union was 431 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,640 Speaker 2: able to pull off a mass mobilization on an extremely 432 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 2: tight turnaround. So when it's time to vote to go 433 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 2: on strike, there's already workers across hundreds of stores around 434 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 2: the country ready to organize their co workers and get 435 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 2: the word out. Contacts with union advocacy groups and a 436 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:21,960 Speaker 2: network of allies ranging from campus activists to LGBTQ organizations 437 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:25,960 Speaker 2: can also help spread the word about these strikes, raise awareness, 438 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:29,880 Speaker 2: and pull more numbers onto the picket line. On more 439 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:33,200 Speaker 2: of a big picture note, once you get these sorts 440 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 2: of structures and networks from union organizing, you also gain 441 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 2: the actual capacity to deploy them quickly in a way 442 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:43,879 Speaker 2: that actually lets you do rapid responses to changing situations, 443 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:48,000 Speaker 2: and that capacity is something that transadvocacy just hasn't really 444 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 2: had in a long time. 445 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:54,880 Speaker 4: These sites are directly connected to the broader political situation 446 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 4: in America right. I think that a big issue that 447 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:04,159 Speaker 4: can organizing has right now is that there's not a 448 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:08,240 Speaker 4: lot of on the ground reaching out, connecting to mobilizing 449 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:12,879 Speaker 4: people who are impacted by these policies that are like 450 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 4: negatively impacting trans people. And so I think the kind 451 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 4: of organizing that unions are doing right that we've been 452 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:24,440 Speaker 4: doing this entire time, right where we're speaking to people directly, 453 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:28,679 Speaker 4: where we're getting them organized, getting them involved, is really 454 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:34,880 Speaker 4: a helpful starting point for like turning discontent and turning 455 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:39,679 Speaker 4: anxiety and fear around issues into like actual action. I 456 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:43,719 Speaker 4: think it's like super essential that we have this contract. 457 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 4: Now we're heading into twenty twenty five, We're heading into 458 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:52,640 Speaker 4: a frankly pretty fucking scary time for trans people. We 459 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 4: need a contract that protects trans healthcare. We need a 460 00:27:56,520 --> 00:28:00,760 Speaker 4: contract that guarantees better wages. We mean a contract of 461 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:04,399 Speaker 4: only for the protections that it guarantees workers in terms 462 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:06,919 Speaker 4: of like safety at work and type of terms of 463 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 4: making sure that they're not being taken advantage of at work. 464 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:14,639 Speaker 4: Right Well, Starbucks offered us again was an insul It 465 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:16,119 Speaker 4: wasn't a real counter proposal. 466 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:19,360 Speaker 5: We're more ready than ever to. 467 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:22,040 Speaker 4: Like finish his contract and to have something, but like, 468 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 4: we need movement from Starbucks. We need a serious counter proposal. 469 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:29,840 Speaker 4: Thirty cents and no changes to benefits isn't going to 470 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:30,560 Speaker 4: fucking do it. 471 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:33,600 Speaker 2: We're going to go on another ad break and return 472 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:48,640 Speaker 2: to finish up our interview with Starbucks Workers United. Okay, 473 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 2: we're back. I'm now gonna throw to MIA or a 474 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 2: discussion on how union organizing can help strengthen trends. Advocacy 475 00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 2: in general. 476 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 6: We're in this kind of crisis period of I don't 477 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 6: know what you call the national trans movements, just the 478 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:06,480 Speaker 6: extent that it exists, where the advocacy orgs and legal 479 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:09,520 Speaker 6: strategies they've been pursuing are not working. We're losing in 480 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 6: the courts all the time. Their electoral strategy of kind 481 00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:16,480 Speaker 6: of bearrying themselves to the Biden administration has failed, and 482 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 6: I think this is a moment where we need a 483 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:22,560 Speaker 6: new plan. And this is as good of a plan 484 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 6: as I've ever seen, and I think one of the 485 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:27,120 Speaker 6: things that we're going to see, we're going to need 486 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:29,200 Speaker 6: to see and we're literally we're just going to have 487 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:32,680 Speaker 6: to do over the next few years, I mean ideally 488 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 6: over the next couple of months, because we don't have 489 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:36,720 Speaker 6: we don't have much time until these people take power. 490 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 6: Is more sort of you know, not just intra union 491 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:44,760 Speaker 6: coordination of organizing a trans workers, but it is organizing 492 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 6: trans workers across different unions and trying to figure out 493 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:53,719 Speaker 6: how we leverage our power, like more broadly to you know, 494 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:56,960 Speaker 6: protect ourselves and to fight for our rights and fight 495 00:29:57,040 --> 00:29:57,800 Speaker 6: to be free. 496 00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:03,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that's something we're still building our capacity 497 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 3: for that in this union, but we definitely do have 498 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:12,080 Speaker 3: relationships with other trans union activists and organizers. We're affiliated 499 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:15,240 Speaker 3: to Workers United, which is affiliated to SCIU, So obviously 500 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 3: that's kind of the most direct and easiest way for 501 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 3: us to get in touch with other trans folks that 502 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 3: are in the labor movement, get support, get feedback, get ideas, 503 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:26,640 Speaker 3: and share in turn what's been working for us. But 504 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:29,160 Speaker 3: it is a capacity we want to build out even 505 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 3: further because we are going to need that solidarity between 506 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 3: and among labor unions in order to form a coherent response. 507 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:41,240 Speaker 3: I mean, as you're saying, the response hasn't been working. 508 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:45,040 Speaker 3: The kind of problem solving we're seeing from a lot 509 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 3: of politicians basically amounts to sidestepping the issue, pretending it 510 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 3: doesn't exist. You know, maybe not throwing trans people under 511 00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 3: the bus explicitly by actively supporting our elimination from public life, 512 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,520 Speaker 3: but certainly not standing up and defending us. And unions 513 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:06,440 Speaker 3: are one of the only ways that working people can 514 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:11,520 Speaker 3: come together in large groups and pool resources for political activity. 515 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:13,680 Speaker 3: And we know there are a lot of problems with 516 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:17,560 Speaker 3: how many unions currently do that. But for those of 517 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:21,840 Speaker 3: us who are very committed to struggle for equality, that's 518 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,480 Speaker 3: not going to compromise and throw some group under the bus. 519 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:29,120 Speaker 3: We understand that we have to get involved and be 520 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 3: part of labor in order to improve how labor does 521 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:37,360 Speaker 3: politics in this country. If we want people to stand 522 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:41,760 Speaker 3: up and defend trans rights and defend trans healthcare, and 523 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 3: defend our ability to exist in public life, then we 524 00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:49,000 Speaker 3: have to, like we have to be the ones to 525 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 3: do it. We just we have to do it, And 526 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 3: getting involved in your union is one of the only 527 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:57,600 Speaker 3: accessible ways that trans people are going to be able 528 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:01,520 Speaker 3: to build that kind of political capacity and find allies. 529 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:05,520 Speaker 6: We have an opportunity here because you know, to do 530 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:10,640 Speaker 6: a version of Jijik's mistranslation of Antonio Gramsci, it's like, 531 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 6: you know, the old trans movement is dying in the 532 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 6: New World's like struggles to be born. Now is a 533 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:18,800 Speaker 6: time of monsters. But I think this means that you know, you, like, 534 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:20,720 Speaker 6: literally the people listening to this show, the people on 535 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 6: this now, we are going to be the people who 536 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:27,400 Speaker 6: define what the trans movement is going to be going forward, right, 537 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 6: and we have to because we have no other choice. 538 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 6: But this also means that, you know, we are going 539 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 6: to be the ones who get to set the tone 540 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:37,560 Speaker 6: of what we're doing, get to like strategically decide on 541 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 6: how we're going to do this. And I think we 542 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:43,040 Speaker 6: have advantages too in the sense that there are ways 543 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:45,840 Speaker 6: in which our economic marginalization is sort of helpful in that, 544 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 6: you know, if you look at the sort of independent 545 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:50,800 Speaker 6: unions that have been forming recently, right, even more so 546 00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:53,720 Speaker 6: than in conventional unions, unbelievable numbers of those people are trans, 547 00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:56,720 Speaker 6: right because you know, okay, you're dealing with the population 548 00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:59,480 Speaker 6: where it's very easy to get salts. It's very easy 549 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:01,320 Speaker 6: to send people in the unionized stores because no one 550 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:03,720 Speaker 6: has jobs anyways, and so the you know, the risk 551 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:06,480 Speaker 6: of you losing it is like lower because you're already 552 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 6: taking a low wage job, et cetera, et cetera. And 553 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:12,120 Speaker 6: I think I think there's there's things about these movements 554 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:15,040 Speaker 6: and the way that we're embedding ourselves in also sort 555 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 6: of new movements, like the start unionization thing is not 556 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:23,720 Speaker 6: that old, right, I think we're well positioned on the 557 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:26,480 Speaker 6: sort of front of a bunch of different changes that 558 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:29,400 Speaker 6: are happening in both union organizing and in how the 559 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:34,760 Speaker 6: American working class works to build something together that can 560 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:37,680 Speaker 6: actually go back on the offensive for the first time 561 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 6: in like a decade. 562 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:41,800 Speaker 4: Right. And I think we're at a moment where we 563 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 4: actually have to fight for ourselves, right. Yeah, Again, we're 564 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:48,520 Speaker 4: at a point where no one else is going to 565 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:50,800 Speaker 4: fight for us. We have to be willing to take 566 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:54,360 Speaker 4: that step and fight for ourselves advocate for ourselves. 567 00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:56,880 Speaker 5: At this moment, it's up to trans. 568 00:33:56,640 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 4: People to get involved, especially with the labor movement, and 569 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 4: there's so much opportunity to advocate for trans rights, to 570 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:08,239 Speaker 4: like build up the transliberation movement in a way that 571 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:11,400 Speaker 4: hasn't been done before. I think it's so essential for 572 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:16,319 Speaker 4: us to not feel hopeless and see the potential here 573 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:20,920 Speaker 4: and get involved. I'm not necessarily telling people that, like 574 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:24,440 Speaker 4: you should go apply to a Starbucks and like convince 575 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:28,239 Speaker 4: them to unionize, but also like I'm not not saying that. 576 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:35,800 Speaker 3: You know, trans people are getting that opportunity to actually 577 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:39,920 Speaker 3: drive our own liberation, and there's just so few places 578 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,799 Speaker 3: in society where we get that. That's been one of 579 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:45,480 Speaker 3: the most exciting things about being part of this union 580 00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:48,839 Speaker 3: for me. And yes, you should consider going to work 581 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 3: at Starbucks and unionizing it. And certainly, you know, to 582 00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:56,200 Speaker 3: directly plug a little bit. If there are Buristas in 583 00:34:56,239 --> 00:35:00,040 Speaker 3: your audience, they absolutely should go to our website. I 584 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:01,840 Speaker 3: think there will be a link like in the description 585 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:05,440 Speaker 3: of the episode or something. Go visit our union's website, 586 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:09,360 Speaker 3: get in touch with an organizer, and start organizing. I 587 00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:12,360 Speaker 3: know it can like sound daunting in theory, like what 588 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:14,839 Speaker 3: does it mean to start organizing my workplace? But there 589 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 3: is a template, there's a plan. You know, We've done 590 00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:19,800 Speaker 3: this a bunch, We've done it at over five hundred 591 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:23,759 Speaker 3: stores at least five hundred and twelve at this point nationwide, 592 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:27,040 Speaker 3: which is pretty incredible, especially to have done all that 593 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:30,960 Speaker 3: without yet having even secured our contract. So we have 594 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:32,960 Speaker 3: a good template for how to win. And if you 595 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:36,279 Speaker 3: just get in touch, then people will reach out to 596 00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:38,960 Speaker 3: help you. And that does include professional staff, but it 597 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:43,320 Speaker 3: also includes people like us who are workers that will 598 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:47,520 Speaker 3: be peer to peer, worker to worker organizers, because that's 599 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:50,520 Speaker 3: what this campaign has been built on from the beginning, 600 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:54,319 Speaker 3: is workers organizing each other. So yeah, I mean, there's 601 00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:57,000 Speaker 3: really truly never been a time that's better than now 602 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:00,279 Speaker 3: and also never been more essential. It's never been more 603 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:05,239 Speaker 3: needed than now. So this is the time. And if 604 00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:07,440 Speaker 3: you're not a barista or you can't become a barista, 605 00:36:08,120 --> 00:36:12,160 Speaker 3: then we still really need people to sign a solidarity 606 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:14,760 Speaker 3: pledge with our union and get involved that way as allies, 607 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:18,719 Speaker 3: as supporters. You know, community support is always critical to 608 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:23,560 Speaker 3: union struggles. We are bargaining our contract with Starbucks right now, 609 00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:26,880 Speaker 3: and community support is a huge part of what's going 610 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:29,840 Speaker 3: to get us, you know, the contract that does deliver 611 00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:33,160 Speaker 3: the kind of protections and benefits we're looking for, that 612 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:37,160 Speaker 3: does set a precedent for what trans inclusive union organizing 613 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:40,239 Speaker 3: and union bargaining can look like in this country. It's 614 00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:44,920 Speaker 3: kind of a terrifying responsibility sometimes. But the thing about 615 00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:47,920 Speaker 3: this union is because it is one of the exciting 616 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:51,359 Speaker 3: bright spots in American labor right now. I do think 617 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:54,680 Speaker 3: a lot of people are looking to us to figure out, well, 618 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:58,239 Speaker 3: what are they doing, what's working, what's going well? And 619 00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:00,719 Speaker 3: I certainly think, you know, the results we get for 620 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:05,759 Speaker 3: trans workers in our union have some precedent setting importance. 621 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:09,279 Speaker 3: So it is really critical, even if you're not in 622 00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:12,560 Speaker 3: this union, even if you don't work at Starbucks, to 623 00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:17,279 Speaker 3: support this struggle because it will have ripple effects. There 624 00:37:17,320 --> 00:37:22,720 Speaker 3: will be ramifications for American labor and for the struggle 625 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:26,480 Speaker 3: for transliberation as a consequence of how things turn out 626 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:29,320 Speaker 3: with us. So yeah, we could really use your support. 627 00:37:29,719 --> 00:37:32,840 Speaker 2: Earlier this episode, we talked about hope, and as important 628 00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:35,959 Speaker 2: and as useful as that can be, it is also 629 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:40,480 Speaker 2: super crucial that people know how they're actually able to 630 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:44,480 Speaker 2: organize and actually try to get things done. After this 631 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:47,799 Speaker 2: last election, I'm sure many of you, like myself, were 632 00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:51,920 Speaker 2: flooded with posts and performative calls to action. Now is 633 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 2: the time to organize your community, but never with any 634 00:37:56,640 --> 00:37:59,360 Speaker 2: real information on what that actually means or how to 635 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:02,960 Speaker 2: go about it. But something like the Starbucks union is 636 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,960 Speaker 2: actually a very direct way to do that, especially if 637 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:07,000 Speaker 2: you're a barista. 638 00:38:07,160 --> 00:38:11,120 Speaker 4: I think I have to emphasize how achievable that is, 639 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:14,880 Speaker 4: Like it is possible five hundred plus stores across the 640 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:19,279 Speaker 4: nation have done it in this political environment. Right, I'm 641 00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:22,520 Speaker 4: going to shout out one of my coworkers. She transferred 642 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:26,680 Speaker 4: to another store in Oklahoma, and I was jokingly telling her. 643 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:28,759 Speaker 4: I was like, well, you're allowed to transfer as long as, 644 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:32,520 Speaker 4: like you, you ununonize your store immediately, and she was 645 00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:36,120 Speaker 4: like okay, And she did it, like within like a 646 00:38:36,239 --> 00:38:39,279 Speaker 4: week of being there. She'd like talked one on one 647 00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:42,840 Speaker 4: with everyone at that store, people who were all already 648 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:50,560 Speaker 4: wanting better wages, better healthcare, better staffing, and through these conversations, 649 00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:54,880 Speaker 4: she organized that store. And that is so fucking amazing 650 00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:57,200 Speaker 4: to me, and it makes me feel so I don't know, 651 00:38:57,200 --> 00:39:00,040 Speaker 4: I don't want to sound like patronizing or whatever, and 652 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:03,319 Speaker 4: it makes me so proud to see that, right, to 653 00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:06,280 Speaker 4: see that she's been able to see how our store 654 00:39:06,320 --> 00:39:10,040 Speaker 4: has organized, how we've spoken to people, how we've reached 655 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:12,719 Speaker 4: out to like her co workers, and she's been able 656 00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:16,760 Speaker 4: to take that and replicate that so easily, get so quickly. 657 00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:19,200 Speaker 4: Like when I say with them like a week or 658 00:39:19,239 --> 00:39:22,280 Speaker 4: two of transferring to the store, I am not exaggerating, 659 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:24,080 Speaker 4: she was fucking on. 660 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:27,560 Speaker 5: Top of it. If we can do this in fucking. 661 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:32,320 Speaker 4: Goddamn Oklahoma, we can do this anywhere, right, It is possible. 662 00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:34,440 Speaker 4: You can do it if you can have a conversation 663 00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:36,960 Speaker 4: with your coworker, if you can have a conversation with 664 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:41,920 Speaker 4: multiple coworkers, if you can develop relationships with them friendships, 665 00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:46,839 Speaker 4: if you can establish that you have like a common issue. Right, 666 00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:50,440 Speaker 4: if you can make it clear that like the struggles 667 00:39:50,440 --> 00:39:54,359 Speaker 4: we're facing at our workplaces have a solution, you can 668 00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:57,880 Speaker 4: do this. All you have to do is actually fucking 669 00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:00,680 Speaker 4: take that step to make it happ. 670 00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:03,600 Speaker 6: Every single union that has ever been formed was maybe 671 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:06,880 Speaker 6: by people exactly like you. You the listener listening to 672 00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:11,200 Speaker 6: this right now, Right, you are exactly the person who 673 00:40:11,239 --> 00:40:14,319 Speaker 6: has organized every union that anyone has ever done. Right, 674 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:17,120 Speaker 6: It's it's not something that's like the domain of pure 675 00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:18,440 Speaker 6: professional organizers. 676 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:21,120 Speaker 3: You can do this too, Yeah, you really can, and 677 00:40:21,160 --> 00:40:24,360 Speaker 3: I mean, you know, at my store, I was the 678 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:29,880 Speaker 3: only transperson at my store, and despite being a transsexual communist, 679 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:33,640 Speaker 3: I was able to organize a successful election at a 680 00:40:33,640 --> 00:40:37,640 Speaker 3: store that includes, you know, half of people being Trump voters. 681 00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:41,040 Speaker 3: Like the idea that you have to hide or diminish yourself, 682 00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:45,000 Speaker 3: or that because you know your trans or otherwise marginalized, 683 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:48,600 Speaker 3: that it's impossible for you to build that solidarity with 684 00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:52,759 Speaker 3: your coworkers and come together for your common issues, It's 685 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:58,040 Speaker 3: just not true. People understand their own economic liberation, even 686 00:40:58,080 --> 00:41:01,920 Speaker 3: if they don't fully just yet. There's always an intuitive 687 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,960 Speaker 3: level you understand you're getting screwed over. You can tell 688 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:06,920 Speaker 3: that the system is not set up fairly and it's 689 00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:09,520 Speaker 3: not set up for you to succeed as a working person, 690 00:41:10,520 --> 00:41:13,680 Speaker 3: And with the right conversations, with the right information, with 691 00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:17,520 Speaker 3: the right relationships and solidarity that you build with someone else, 692 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:22,359 Speaker 3: people can be brought to understand what the solution is 693 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:28,200 Speaker 3: and that the situation you currently live under with shareholders 694 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:32,640 Speaker 3: and capitalists stealing all of this value from you is unacceptable, 695 00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:34,640 Speaker 3: and that there is a way to fight to get 696 00:41:34,680 --> 00:41:39,239 Speaker 3: back what you've earned with your labor. So for those 697 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:41,160 Speaker 3: of you who are listening. You don't have to hide 698 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:44,279 Speaker 3: who you are politically or personally to do that work 699 00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:47,080 Speaker 3: to bring people along. And in fact, if we do 700 00:41:47,239 --> 00:41:50,800 Speaker 3: hide who we are, then we're not really going to 701 00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:53,200 Speaker 3: be getting people all the way to where they need 702 00:41:53,239 --> 00:41:55,680 Speaker 3: to go. You know, we're not going to build a 703 00:41:55,719 --> 00:41:58,840 Speaker 3: movement of people committed to liberation by side stepping issues 704 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:03,560 Speaker 3: and hiding piece of who we are and saying that, oh, well, 705 00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:06,440 Speaker 3: you know, transliberation is not really important. That's not how 706 00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:09,560 Speaker 3: we're going to build like a durable coalition. I think 707 00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:12,880 Speaker 3: this is a problem that politicians in our country keep making. 708 00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:16,440 Speaker 3: It's a mistake they keep making of thinking they can 709 00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:21,360 Speaker 3: ignore or downplay certain issues tensions within their coalitions to 710 00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:25,120 Speaker 3: keep those coalitions together. But when you ignore it you 711 00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:28,759 Speaker 3: don't address it, it just blows up later in the end. Anyway, Yeah, 712 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:31,680 Speaker 3: get involved that you really have nothing to lose and 713 00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:37,200 Speaker 3: nothing you know, accept your change not to be I 714 00:42:37,239 --> 00:42:39,120 Speaker 3: mean I just realized halfway through. I was like, well, 715 00:42:39,120 --> 00:42:40,320 Speaker 3: I might as well finish the quote. 716 00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:47,320 Speaker 4: So Okay, we're like such a scary point for trans people, 717 00:42:47,960 --> 00:42:51,000 Speaker 4: and I know that that's terrifying, that that's also an 718 00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:56,160 Speaker 4: opportunity to pivot and to like actually make meaningful change. 719 00:42:56,320 --> 00:43:01,680 Speaker 4: Right again, I cannot emphasize enough we create our own 720 00:43:01,719 --> 00:43:03,080 Speaker 4: hope for a better future. 721 00:43:03,200 --> 00:43:04,839 Speaker 5: It has to be on us, right. 722 00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:08,440 Speaker 4: We can't just, I don't know, depend on other people 723 00:43:08,480 --> 00:43:11,160 Speaker 4: to do this work for us. We have to show 724 00:43:11,280 --> 00:43:15,640 Speaker 4: up and do this work. And I don't know, Personally speaking, 725 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:20,560 Speaker 4: I am fucking tired of liberals who want to just 726 00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:23,880 Speaker 4: ignore trans people and pretend we don't exist. As Like, 727 00:43:24,080 --> 00:43:27,320 Speaker 4: I don't know, our TVs are flooded with anti trans as. 728 00:43:27,600 --> 00:43:31,919 Speaker 4: I'm tired of depending on people who aren't advocating for me, right, 729 00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:34,840 Speaker 4: I'd rather fight for myself through my union. 730 00:43:35,360 --> 00:43:38,400 Speaker 6: So yeah, I think that's a good place to close on. 731 00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:41,279 Speaker 6: Is in some sense a cold world that has left 732 00:43:41,360 --> 00:43:43,520 Speaker 6: us with no one to fight for ourselves but ourselves. 733 00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:45,799 Speaker 6: But if we fucking do it, we can win, and 734 00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:48,000 Speaker 6: we can drag everyone else along with us. 735 00:43:48,600 --> 00:43:50,480 Speaker 2: On that note, I'm going to close out the show 736 00:43:50,560 --> 00:43:54,160 Speaker 2: here with a few plugs for Starbucks Workers United. You 737 00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:59,239 Speaker 2: can find their website at Sbworkers United dot org and 738 00:43:59,600 --> 00:44:03,399 Speaker 2: SB Workers United on social media. I'll have a link 739 00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:06,200 Speaker 2: to their website to end their solidarity pledge in the 740 00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:11,200 Speaker 2: description below. See you on the other side. 741 00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:15,279 Speaker 1: It could Happen Here is a production of cool Zone Media. 742 00:44:15,520 --> 00:44:18,560 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website 743 00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:22,240 Speaker 1: Coolzonemedia dot com, or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, 744 00:44:22,280 --> 00:44:24,360 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever. 745 00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:25,200 Speaker 2: You listen to podcasts. 746 00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:27,560 Speaker 1: You can now find sources for it could Happen Here, 747 00:44:27,560 --> 00:44:30,560 Speaker 1: listed directly in episode descriptions. Thanks for listening.