7 ms·

I lost one of my most convenient Starbucks because it unionized and shortly after that became suddenly and completely unrelatedly needed to close because it had

I lost one of my most convenient Starbucks because it unionized and shortly after that became suddenly and completely unrelatedly needed to close because it had become unprofitable. I assume it'll be back in a few months because the economy has recovered and it looks like a good place to open a nice, union-free Starbucks.

distances 4y ago
Is it common to have single location unions? Seems to me that this does not add very much negotiation power for the workers. In my country large unions negotiate for a whole sector, so all café workers regardless of their employer are covered by a collective agreement. You don't even have to be a member for the negotiated benefits (such as minimum wage) to apply: the collective agreement covers everyone in the sector nonetheless.
- renewiltord 4y ago
  They're all under Workers United which is under SEIU. It's a big union.
mtsr 4y ago
What I don't get is why these unions need to be limited to a single shop/warehouse/whatever. Why not have a statewide/country-wide union instead? That's how you force a company to talk to you, by ensuring they cannot go around you. I thought the US used to have profession-based unions, such as the teamsters union, who can have members all over the US?
- cherioo 4y ago
  US still have that, but it’s way easier to bootstrap a small union then expand, as intense lobbying resource (money) is required to have a successful union drive.
WalterBright 4y ago
The union could have bought that closed Starbucks and reopened it, and run it as they saw fit.
- VerminOctopus1 4y ago
  [flagged]
  - satvikpendem 4y ago
    Walter Bright is the creator of the D programming language. I wouldn't necessarily say it confers some advantage on HN, but take that as you will. > incredibly juvenile and disingenuous posts You might think so (others might not), and if so, downvote, and if they're unpopular enough posts, then they become dead. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Bright https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Bright
  - WalterBright 4y ago
    You're welcome to post your frame of reference, too.
  - JimBright 4y ago
    SalmoShalazar, please explain to the group how Walter Bright's posts are "incredibly juvenile and disingenuous". Is it simply because you disagree with his assessment?
  - dang 4y ago
    Personal attacks and name-calling will get you banned here, regardless of how wrong someone is or you feel they are. You've done this recently in at least one other place: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34118393 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34118393. If you'd please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and stick to the rules when posting here, we'd appreciate it.
- guerrilla 4y ago
  You greatly overestimate how much Starbucks pays workers.
pleb_nz 4y ago
Hopefully it was replaced by a coffee shop selling half decent coffee and owned by a small business owner locally and you got to enjoy some nice coffee
caskstrength 4y ago
What if unionization really made it unprofitable for Starbucks to operate?
- tchaffee 4y ago
  Starbucks profit for 2022 was $22 billion. A 7% increase over the prior year. That leaves loads of room for unions to negotiate higher salaries and better benefits before there is any risk of that happening. And unions tend to not drive companies out of business because then there is no need for the union anymore and no paychecks to take union fees from.
  - caskstrength 4y ago
    I would assume they didn't made all those billions by running unprofitable shops, didn't they?
    - tchaffee 4y ago
      The shops are obviously highly profitable. Which is my point. More of that profit could be shared with the workers who generate it. And they would still be profitable. Your scary "unprofitable" is not in sight even after significant raises to workers.
      - caskstrength 4y ago
        How do you know any of that? Just throwing the word "obvious" in there doesn't make an argument.
        tchaffee 4y ago
        It's in their annual and quarterly reports where their profit comes from. They run highly profitable coffee stores around the world.
        4y ago

distances 4y ago

Is it common to have single location unions? Seems to me that this does not add very much negotiation power for the workers. In my country large unions negotiate for a whole sector, so all café workers regardless of their employer are covered by a collective agreement. You don't even have to be a member for the negotiated benefits (such as minimum wage) to apply: the collective agreement covers everyone in the sector nonetheless.

renewiltord 4y ago
They're all under Workers United which is under SEIU. It's a big union.

mtsr 4y ago

What I don't get is why these unions need to be limited to a single shop/warehouse/whatever. Why not have a statewide/country-wide union instead? That's how you force a company to talk to you, by ensuring they cannot go around you. I thought the US used to have profession-based unions, such as the teamsters union, who can have members all over the US?

cherioo 4y ago
US still have that, but it’s way easier to bootstrap a small union then expand, as intense lobbying resource (money) is required to have a successful union drive.

WalterBright 4y ago

The union could have bought that closed Starbucks and reopened it, and run it as they saw fit.

VerminOctopus1 4y ago
[flagged]
- satvikpendem 4y ago
  Walter Bright is the creator of the D programming language. I wouldn't necessarily say it confers some advantage on HN, but take that as you will. > incredibly juvenile and disingenuous posts You might think so (others might not), and if so, downvote, and if they're unpopular enough posts, then they become dead. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Bright https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Bright
- WalterBright 4y ago
  You're welcome to post your frame of reference, too.
- JimBright 4y ago
  SalmoShalazar, please explain to the group how Walter Bright's posts are "incredibly juvenile and disingenuous". Is it simply because you disagree with his assessment?
- dang 4y ago
  Personal attacks and name-calling will get you banned here, regardless of how wrong someone is or you feel they are. You've done this recently in at least one other place: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34118393 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34118393. If you'd please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and stick to the rules when posting here, we'd appreciate it.
guerrilla 4y ago
You greatly overestimate how much Starbucks pays workers.

pleb_nz 4y ago

Hopefully it was replaced by a coffee shop selling half decent coffee and owned by a small business owner locally and you got to enjoy some nice coffee

caskstrength 4y ago

What if unionization really made it unprofitable for Starbucks to operate?

tchaffee 4y ago
Starbucks profit for 2022 was $22 billion. A 7% increase over the prior year. That leaves loads of room for unions to negotiate higher salaries and better benefits before there is any risk of that happening. And unions tend to not drive companies out of business because then there is no need for the union anymore and no paychecks to take union fees from.
- caskstrength 4y ago
  I would assume they didn't made all those billions by running unprofitable shops, didn't they?
  - tchaffee 4y ago
    The shops are obviously highly profitable. Which is my point. More of that profit could be shared with the workers who generate it. And they would still be profitable. Your scary "unprofitable" is not in sight even after significant raises to workers.
    - caskstrength 4y ago
      How do you know any of that? Just throwing the word "obvious" in there doesn't make an argument.
      - tchaffee 4y ago
        It's in their annual and quarterly reports where their profit comes from. They run highly profitable coffee stores around the world.
        4y ago