this Starbucks in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood may
look no different from any of the other 15,000 stores
in the U.S. But as a new union location is part of t
growing organizing movement, a movement that is growing
so fast it is prompting Starbucks to engage in what
experts call an unprecedented union busting cam
So this is my place. Um lots of union posters and stuff
in our living room. Jasper booth Hodges leaves five
minutes away from the union storing height park where
he used to work. I have worked 40 hours a week for over
two years at this company. I you know, I am one of the
main openers, the former barist says for the most part
he loved his job. I had such a good report with so many
customers. Then last month, he says he was fired in
retaliation for leading the uni push. The fact that I
was a really active part of the union organizing
committee meant that they were going to find anything
they could to get rid of me. Starbucks denies that
telling Newsy booth Hodges was terminated for
violations of the company's time and attendance
policies nationwide. Over 230 locations have voted to
join the Starbucks Workers United Unions since last
December six of them here in Chicago. In total, nearly
three quarters of all votes cast have been in favor of
unionizing labor experts say the speed and success of
the movement is unheard of. There's just no historical
comparison to what they have achieved by winning
election after election after election. But Starbucks
is fighting tooth and nail to squash it, arguing that
unions are disruptive to its relationship with
employees. Meanwhile, Starbucks workers unite tells
Newsy The coffee chain has fired over 85 pro union
workers. I remember saying, you know, I've been here
for 13 years. You can't even explain to me why I'm
being separated or provide many details. When Sam Amato
was fired last months after 13 years on the job, all
his colleagues at his store near buffalo walked out in
solidarity. The Tiktok video of the incident posted by
the union has been seen nearly 30 million times a month
later. Amato and his former colleagues are still on
strike picketing at the store every day. It just makes
me a little emotional thinking about it. But they've
been so incredibly supportive. Starbucks has been
racking up hundreds of labor violation complaints at
the National Labor Relations Board, a federal
enforcement agency last week, the NlRB said Starbucks
has been illegally withholding wages and benefits from
thousands of union workers In response. Starbucks is
accusing the agency of being biased and colluding with
union organizers to rig elections for labor expert john
login. The problem lies with weak union protection laws
that are too easy for giant corporations to ignore th
penalties for violating the law are not sufficient
deterrent and you know, frankly not sufficient
punishment for companies who are egregious lawbreakers
like Starbucks back in Chicago booth Hodges is
appealing his termination so you're fighting against
Starbucks about your terminatio but do you want your
job back You know, I do plan on going back if I get
reinstated, but you know, regardless of that, this is
so much bigger than just me getting reinstated or not.
This is, you know about letting corporations know
they can't get away with this, you know, that they need
to be held accountable when they break labor laws Ben
Schamisso Newsy Chicago.