My town hosted a local anti-Starbucks protesters, this weekend. There were banners, large signs, and a “beat the cup of coffee” pinata — all because Starbucks is allegedly firing employees who want to unionize.
I’m pro-union, but I have a difficult time defending the unionization efforts of a group of employees who are offered great benefits; however, I will concede that Starbucks has totally flubbed its communication strategy around the planned store closings.
- Customers are asking questions (i.e., “Will this store close?”).
- Employees are asking questions (i.e. “Will this store close? Will I keep my job? Do I get severance?”).
- Managers are asking questions (i.e., “Will this store close? Will I keep my job? Do I have to lay off my employees?”).
- Journalists are asking questions (i.e., “Will this store close? Will I have to walk across the street to the other Starbucks and get my soy venti sugar-free caramel latte over there?”).
Does anyone have answers?
I know there are readers out there from the Starbucks HQs. Are you really telling your employees that Starbucks won’t be publishing a full list of the stores that are closing out of respect for your partners? Hey, rocket scientists at Starbucks, I have some news for you: that’s a bad communications strategy.
For what it’s worth, I wonder if Starbucks leaders have agreed upon the final list of 600 stores that are impacted. I suspect that the news was leaked before a communications plan was finalized. (This happens when there is dissent among senior leaders — and lots of changes at the top.)
Does anyone in the Starbucks HR department have answers for your employees? Who owned this communication plan? What was the plan in the first place? If you have gossip, send it to me here. Also, the comments section is open.
I wonder if any HR professionals talking to managers of their local stores about the failed employee communication strategy? I’m not saying a word to my local store employees because I want my coffee fast and I want to get the hell out of there. No chit chat. I’m a busy woman!
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anti starbucks protests? That sounds like osmething the freaking hippies of Portland would do.
Man… hippies.
I didn’t like the demographics of the protest. It was gray-haired hippies who just want to complain (Maaaaaaaatlock) and don’t understand that Starbucks pays more for health care than it spends on beans — and they were Gen Y kids who just like to stand around in groups and talk about their feelings.
Oy. What a sight.
Sounds like base closures of the 90’s, no? Difference being no unions there, just a lot of senators posturing – oops “bad communicating”.
Sad. I’m going to do my part and by an iced carmel macchiato now – who cares if its 4pm? It’s hot in CA.
the ‘Bux is closing 600 underperforming stores. They will probably open as many this year (600 is half the aggressive new store strategy of the past few years). Even if they opened no new stores, there will still be 10,834 Starbucks in the U.S, or 95% of the SBUX stores will remain open. I heard that they are deploying as many of the affected partners to different stores as possible. You’re right, the news probably leaked before they could agree on the store-closing criteria. But for most folks the answer is that their Starbucks will continue selling 700 calorie fraps until the customers realize they could be buying a gallon of gas.
As far as the union stuff –it’s bs. I can say this with confidence because 1)I am pro-union and born to union-organizing parents from Detroit and 2)I used to work for the ‘Bux. The union people want to collect dues from the 130K+ Starbucks store partners. No one is being fired because of organizing activities. Fact is, almost 50% of the SBUX workforce are college students who don’t care. They are very transient, but even so, they are offered healthcare benefits, stock options, flexible work hours (as flexible as possible in the food retail business), and better than average work environment, not to mention competitive pay. That said, it is the service industry, and most people try to find better jobs after a while. No need to stick around and Norma Jean your way to union-mandated smoke breaks and lapel pins.
I meant ‘Norma Rae’. Oops.
Oh and, BTW, I love Starbucks, to the tune of $4.30 per day, + 1 lb of coffee a week. My post sounds kind of anti-’bux, but I am a life-time customer.
@William I fully endorse the caramel machiatto. Get one for me, too.
@PeopleShark Norma Jean or Norma Rae — does it matter? Anyone under 30 won’t get the reference, anyway.
I agree with your comments about Starbucks. I am a $4.19/day woman, and I fully support any company that gives me free samples of marble loaf and oatmeal raisin cookies. I do support unions in most situations — except for a situation where they ignore downtrodden industries and focus on unionizing my local (& otherwise employable) college students.
The better-performing employees will be offered positions at other locations. This is a good opportunity for those other stores to term their underperformers and bring in experienced folks from the closing stores. Other employees will take their experience elsewhere – hopefully moving on and upward.
As Peopleshark pointed out, 600 stores is just a handful compared to the overall numbers – and the majority of the closing stores are poor performers or in oversaturated markets. IIRC, most of the closures will be newer stores, opened since 2006, presumably at higher lease rates. I wouldn’t be surprised if stores performing decently get closed down because the rent is way higher than a store with lesser numbers but lower rent. Why are so many people surprised that Starbucks makes decisions based on business conditions? It’s not a shiny happy commune, it’s a multinational retail chain!
As for the way the announcement was handled… well, not the smoothest, but is there really any way to be utterly humane when executing a layoff? It won’t come totally out of the blue when the store manager relays the closing notice from HQ. And these RETAIL employees will have both a 30-day notice *and* severance pay. How often does that happen in retail?
Gah, this topic makes me want to rant. Maybe I need more caffeine. Starbucks gets about $40/week from me, mostly for sugar-free hazelnut lattes. (I rotate between skim, 2%, and soy)
I agree with Laurie… Hippies
Also I am always down for a Peppermint Mocha since I broke the coffee machine in the office. Yikes!
@Perrik Why aren’t you writing a blog about your love of all things payroll and Starbucks? You’re such an awesome writer.
@alex Mmmmmmmmm. I love the holidays because I’m a peppermint mocha addict.
@Laurie We’ve got the domain set up with WordPress – I’ve just been too much of a slacker to get started! Maybe this weekend…
But if I were to write about payroll, I’d need an anonymous blog. Mustn’t damage my online reputation by using the words that immediately spring to mind when the topic comes up. They’d melt your monitor.
It’s not quite peppermint mocha, but there’s a mint mocha frap for summer, served with chocolate whipped cream. Have you tried it? I like the SF gingerbread lattes, but they taste weird if it’s not bitterly cold outside. Gingerbread requires winter.