Starbucks Announces Changes after Baristas Speak Out
JAN 25, 2018 | COWORKER.ORG
On January 24, 2018, Starbucks announced a range of new offerings for baristas including: wage increases, additional stock options and more hiring, as well as paid sick leave and expanded parental leave for its partners. The improvements at Starbucks come after tens of thousands of baristas pushed for many of these policy changes on Coworker.org, a platform where anyone can launch, join, and win campaigns to improve their workplaces.
Here are some of the campaigns on Coworker.org created and led by Starbucks baristas:
- Over 10,000 self-identified Starbucks baristas joined this campaign on Coworker.org calling for higher wages — especially for store employees who have been with the company for years.
- Thousands of baristas signed on to this campaign that claims Starbucks stores are understaffed. Baristas who joined the campaign say that low staffing levels have had a negative impact on employee morale and customer service.
- Similarly, Starbucks partners joined this barista-led campaign for paid sick leave.
- They’ve also taken part in a popular campaign for paid parental leave for all baristas after the company announced a new policy last year that initially excluded new barista dads and adoptive parents.
These campaigns offer just a glimpse of the many ways Starbucks baristas are using Coworker.org to connect with each other and take collective action to improve their workplaces. More than 40,000 self-identified Starbucks partners — that’s over 13% of the company’s global workforce — are part of a growing community of employees on Coworker.org.
This week’s announcement from Starbucks does not address an issue raised by a Florida-based barista named Joseph whose campaign on Coworker.org asks Starbucks to expand tuition assistance options beyond just Arizona State University.
Joseph is an aspiring cybersecurity technician who says he hasn’t been able to take part in Starbucks’ partnership with ASU because they don’t offer the courses required to be certified in his field. He also wrote this piece specifically asking Starbucks to use its tax savings to invest in broader educational initiatives for baristas.
In its press release, Starbucks states that all of the new benefits announced this week will amount to “more than $250 million.” Reuters reports that a Credit Suisse analyst recently estimated that Starbucks’ lower global tax rate could result in “roughly $425 million in annual tax savings.” In response, Joseph said that he hopes that “Starbucks will prioritize its commitment to education and ensure that all baristas will have access to the education they want by expanding its tuition assistance options.”
Coworker.org is a global platform to advance change in the workplace. Our technology makes it easy for individuals or groups of employees to launch, join, and win campaigns to improve their jobs and workplaces. You can start your own campaign about changes you want to see in your workplace on Coworker.org here — or contact us at [email protected] if you would like to discuss a workplace issue with our team.
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