Starbucks workplace challenges revealed in report by Jobs With Justice

Labor groups and elected officials gathered in the rain Wednesday morning to announce a new report on workplace challenges faced by unionized Starbucks on Long Island.

The report, released by Jobs With Justice — the local arm of a national pro-labor organization — outlines specific complaints from unionized Starbucks workers, and includes recommendations for the Seattle-based company. Jobs With Justice announced the new report in front of the Starbucks store at the Gallery at Westbury Plaza.

The report is a follow-up to a workers’ rights hearing held in late February organized by the labor group and overseen by its Workers’ Rights Board.

The board does not have legal authority but used testimony from a half dozen current and former unionized Starbucks workers to create the report.

Employees at stores in Farmingville, Westbury, Lynbrook, Massapequa, Wantagh, Old Westbury and Garden City have voted to unionize since 2022, joining a nationwide movement of 415 stores in 43 states who joined Workers United, the union representing the Starbucks employees.

Workers at a store in Port Jefferson submitted a petition with the National Labor Relations Board last week seeking a union election.

Starbucks said in February it was working on a framework with Workers United to handle contract negotiations at unionized stores, with the aim of securing ratified contracts sometime later this year.

Among the recommendations in the report are calls for the company to deal with short staffing and inconsistent scheduling, provide better training for both workers — partners, in Starbucks parlance — and their managers, and to ensure managers are held accountable for bad behavior on the job.

Valley Stream resident Liv Ryan, 26, has worked at the Lynbrook café location for more than four years. During that time, Ryan said they've dealt with a slew of bad managers, and alleges some made prejudicial or offensive statements on the job.

“Accountability from management is one of the biggest things that we need as workers,” Ryan said. “From my experience there’s no system in place. You can complain about your manager, but it always gets back to them.”

In response to the report, Starbucks said that it has made efforts to improve workplace conditions, including scheduling and staffing. 

"We're focused on creating a more stable environment for partners through investments in equipment innovation, process improvements, staffing, scheduling and waste reduction, all things our partners value and prioritize creating a more satisfying work environment in our stores while de-risking our business," Starbucks spokesperson Rachel Wall said in statement. 

Ryan, who said they’ve been present for some early bargaining sessions, said they are feeling optimistic about securing a contract in the next 12 months.

“It took the company way too long to finally come to the bargaining table … but I think at the table Starbucks has been pretty willing to negotiate," Ryan said. 

Wall said the company is "committed to our stated aim of reaching ratified contracts for union-represented stores in 2024."

Despite early progress at the bargaining table, though, the report makes note of the coffee giant’s legal challenges to the powers of the NLRB, a concerning development for labor leaders and scholars.

Starbucks, along with SpaceX, Amazon and Trader Joe’s, have made legal arguments concerning the NLRB's powers in recent months, arguing that the agency’s structure is unconstitutional. Starbucks has not filed a lawsuit against the NLRB but has mentioned arguments concerning the agency’s constitutionality in its legal defenses concerning unfair labor practice charges.

“They are using the same argument,” said Mary Anne Trasciatti, director of labor studies at Hofstra University and a board member with Jobs With Justice. “Clearly, [SpaceX CEO Elon] Musk was leading the way. The strategy is to get the NLRB declared unconstitutional.”

Trasciatti said if Starbucks wanted to make a strong statement about its commitment to bargaining in good faith, it should drop its challenges to the NLRB.

“How can you say you’re making an effort to do right by your workers when you are at the same time trying to make the agency that makes sure you act lawfully and that you bargain in good faith null and void?” Trasciatti said.