{"id":1615847,"date":"2022-08-19T08:01:58","date_gmt":"2022-08-19T12:01:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1615847"},"modified":"2022-08-19T08:02:05","modified_gmt":"2022-08-19T12:02:05","slug":"starbucks-opposition-to-mail-in-unionization-efforts-epitomizes-elitist-hypocrisy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/starbucks-opposition-to-mail-in-unionization-efforts-epitomizes-elitist-hypocrisy\/","title":{"rendered":"Starbucks\u2019 Opposition To Mail-In Unionization Efforts Epitomizes Elitist Hypocrisy"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstarbucks-opposition-to-mail-in-unionization-efforts-epitomizes-elitist-hypocrisy%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1615847&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Efforts to organize have dominated Starbucks\u2019 internal dialogues throughout the last two years, even before the Elmwood store in Buffalo, New York, was the first to successfully unionize in 2021. Since then, more than <a href=\"https:\/\/perfectunion.us\/map-where-are-starbucks-workers-unionizing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">200 stores<\/a> are now members of <a href=\"https:\/\/sbworkersunited.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Starbucks Workers United<\/a>, with more than 300 more headed to a vote. More than 10,000 Starbucks employees (partners) have signed the new union pledge.<\/p>\n<p>For a company as progressive as Starbucks, one might assume unionization would be welcome. Founder Howard Schultz himself utilizes a crisis point in his own childhood to illustrate the benefit of organization: His father was left unable to work after he broke his ankle, leaving his family struggling to make ends meet, with no income or medical insurance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Protecting workers is what Starbucks is supposed to be all about, after all. Starbucks loves to share that they spend more on <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.fortune.com\/2010\/06\/07\/news\/companies\/starbucks_schultz_healthcare.fortune\/index.htm?a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">employee benefits<\/a> than they do on anything else, including coffee.<\/p>\n<p>However, despite this, Starbucks is strongly opposed to its partners\u2019 unionization efforts. To dissuade partners from unionizing, the company is offering <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Captive_audience_meeting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">captive audience meetings<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2022\/05\/03\/starbucks-to-hike-wages-double-training-for-workers-amid-union-push.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">increased benefits packages<\/a> with extended-release dates meant to forestall any new stores\u2019 attempts at organizing, the ousting of CEO Kevin Johnson, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.motherjones.com\/politics\/2022\/03\/starbucks-schultz-howard-union-drive-ceo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">return of Schultz<\/a> as interim CEO.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>The Cold-Brewed Truth\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>The reality is that the boards managing megacompanies such as Starbucks, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailysignal.com\/2022\/05\/20\/netflix-cracks-down-on-employee-activism-is-woke-capital-in-retreat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Netflix<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/political-action-committees-pacs\/amazon-com\/C00360354\/summary\/2020\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amazon<\/a> do not actually believe in the policies they espouse support for when in front of a camera or microphone.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Repeated evidence of their hypocrisy gets only fleeting notice from progressive politicians and corporate media. For example, their <a href=\"https:\/\/stories.starbucks.com\/press\/2016\/starbucks-commitment-to-inclusion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">public support<\/a> for the transgender movement is often mentioned, but the day-to-day running of the business tells a different story: Recent union-busting activities include reducing financial support of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2022-06-14\/starbucks-threatens-trans-benefits-in-anti-union-push-staff-say\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">trans-identifying partners\u2019<\/a> \u201cgender-affirming care.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Were Starbucks more committed to the progressive ideals promoted by the company, partners in union-vulnerable stores would not report being severely disciplined for indiscretions like being <a href=\"https:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/starbucks-fired-being-three-minutes-164109921.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">three minutes late<\/a> for a shift or having to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/starbucks-fired-19-year-old-union-leader-allegedly-recording-harassment-1695266\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">call out sick<\/a> because they were in the hospital.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s just a coincidence that a disproportionate percentage of the stores slated for closure are involved in union activities. Only 3 percent of stores are actively engaged in organizing, but <a href=\"https:\/\/jacobin.com\/2022\/07\/starbucks-howard-schultz-union-busting-firings-store-closures\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">30 percent<\/a> of those slated for closing are involved in unionization.<\/p>\n<h2>Mail in Voting for Thee, Not for Me\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>The company\u2019s latest hypocrisy is its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/starbucks-doesnt-want-mail-in-voting-for-its-union-elections\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">request<\/a> to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/wex\/national_labor_relations_board_%28nlrb%29\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Labor Relations Board<\/a> for suspension of mail-in ballots for union votes. The coffee giant is concerned about the mishandling of ballots and potential collusion between NLRB and union organizers. In addition, it wants all elections to be held in person, with representatives from both the union and Starbucks corporate present, to ensure fairness in how votes are validated and tabulated.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These are all very reasonable expectations, and they\u2019re very similar to positions conservative lawmakers hold on voter integrity in our political election process. They are also very similar to positions Starbucks publicly characterized as being an affront to the democratic process in an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2021\/04\/14\/hundreds-corporations-including-starbucks-netflix-sign-letter-opposing-election-integrity-laws\/\">open letter<\/a> last year, disparaging laws to protect voter integrity.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As the letter so clearly states, \u201cWe all should feel a responsibility to defend the right to vote and to oppose any discriminatory \u2026 measures that restrict or prevent any eligible voter from having an equal and fair opportunity to cast a ballot.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The missive may focus on political elections, but the right for employees to unionize is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.laborlab.us\/the_right_to_unionize#:~:text=Your%20right%20to%20unionize%20is%20protected%20by%20U.S.,rights%20under%20the%20National%20Labor%20Relations%20Act%20%28NLRA%29.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">constitutionally protected<\/a> under the First Amendment, which guarantees both a right to freedom of speech and freedom of association. Thus, Starbucks is attempting to engage in the exact same behavior it condemns by trying to limit the parameters in which its employees may engage in union voting.<\/p>\n<p>The company\u2019s concerns are, however, correct regarding union votes being corrupted. The accusations regarding collusion between the NLRB and the Starbucks Union are serious, and if the federally funded labor watchdog illegally provided union activists with vote tallies as the ballots came in, allowing union reps to target non-voting employees, it could cast doubt on the validity of many previously decided elections.<\/p>\n<p>The accusations are based on the reports from a whistleblower within the NLRB itself, lending credence to the charges. In-person voting will cut down on the potential for fraud and this type of voter intimidation.<\/p>\n<p>Starbucks clearly understands the inherent problems of mail-in ballot systems. In addition to possible coercion, rejection rates for mail-in ballots, whether absentee or universal, are high. They are subject to heightened risk of fraud, and individual ballots can be discarded should they not support the desired outcome of the people counting them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If Starbucks genuinely believes such serious problems are cropping up in small elections in store locations with fewer than 30 employees, the company\u2019s position regarding political elections, where millions of votes are cast, is unconscionable.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Americans\u2019 ability to vote should always be protected in terms of assuring the votes cast aren\u2019t marred by mishandling or intimidation. Voting rights, whether during a unionization process or a federal election, ought to include assuring an entity\u2019s ability to put proper safeguards in place to ensure everyone\u2019s vote is counted.<\/p>\n<h2>Nothing to See Here\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>Howard Schultz and the Starbucks <a href=\"https:\/\/investor.starbucks.com\/corporate-governance\/board-of-directors\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">board of directors<\/a> can live cozily in their gated communities, knowing they won\u2019t suffer the consequences of questionable elections \u2014 the wealthy have <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/c0nr5v9O9-g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">freezers full of ice cream<\/a> that cost more than many people\u2019s cars, and <a href=\"https:\/\/patch.com\/washington\/mercerisland\/15-homes-so-opulent-king-county-has-special-category-them\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lavish homes<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/starbucks-ceo-howard-schultz-buys-40m-penthouse-2017-2#floor-to-ceiling-windows-and-1600-square-feet-of-outdoor-space-allow-residents-to-overlook-much-of-lower-manhattan-and-the-hudson-river-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">luxury apartments<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/travel\/news\/inside-the-paradise-island-being-taken-over-by-billionaires\/ss-AATQr7j#image=30\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">secluded vacation spots<\/a> to retire to should life become overwhelming. Elections are largely irrelevant to their overall situation, as evidenced by Schultz\u2019s own <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestranger.com\/news\/2019\/02\/21\/39153093\/howard-schultz-didnt-vote-again\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lack of participation<\/a> in the democratic process.<\/p>\n<p>As with all of their double-dealing, when it comes to loosening protections for voting rights, Starbucks follows whatever shallow, leftist bandwagon is passing by \u2014 unless, of course, it threatens their bottom line.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Their prerogative is certainly disingenuous. Election integrity isn\u2019t just important when it comes to union organizing in their stores. Ensuring fair and free elections is the bedrock of our representative democracy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Maybe if Starbucks pretended that safeguarding political elections was as important to them as safeguarding the ones being held in their stores, their concerns regarding voter misconduct wouldn\u2019t be so ludicrous. It\u2019s doubtful they would make an effort like this, though.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The people and organizations who promote left-wing causes, like loosening voting restrictions, don\u2019t actually care about the long-term consequences of their actions. As long as Schultz can stay in his gated community, and progressive soccer moms in left-wing cities can continue to ignore <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/08\/13\/squatters-take-over-noho-starbucks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">homeless drug addicts<\/a> at their local Starbucks while picking up a pumpkin spice latte, everything will be just fine.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">\n  Sarah St. Onge is a Christian wife, mother, and writer. She writes about child-loss, grief, and issues pertaining to continuing a pregnancy after a lethal anomaly has been diagnosed, at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.shebringsjoy.com\/\">www.shebringsjoy.com<\/a>. She&#8217;s also the founder of <a href=\"http:\/\/limbbodywallcomplex.net\/\">limbbodywallcomplex.net<\/a>, a pro-life, diagnosis specific website which supports parents who continue their pregnancy after receiving the same lethal diagnosis which took her daughter, Beatrix Elizabeth. You can find her on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Shebringsjoy\/\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/She_Brings_Joy\">Twitter<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/shebringsjoy\/\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-comments mt-30 mt-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-comments-container d-flex flex-column align-items-center py-30\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"110\" height=\"106\" src=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/fdrlst-mark.svg\" class=\"img-fluid mb-20\" alt=\"The Federalist logo eagle mark\" \/>    <\/p>\n<p>Unlock commenting by joining the Federalist Community.<\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/plans\/pricing\/\" class=\"btn btn-on-white\">Subscribe<\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Efforts to organize have dominated Starbucks\u2019 internal dialogues throughout the last two years, even before the Elmwood store in Buffalo, New York, was the first to successfully unionize in 2021.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1004,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1615847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1615847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1004"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1615847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1615847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1615847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1615847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1615847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}