How Amazon and Starbucks work

In the United States, unions have won more and more labor disputes. Amazon and Starbucks workers are organizing. Companies don’t like it, they just engage in “union breakup” or fire managers.

There was great uproar when the first Amazon union was formed in the United States in early April. Chris Smalls, an Amazon warehouse worker and founder of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) union in Staten Island Borough, New York, was able to mobilize most of his staff behind him. They are now campaigning for better working conditions and higher wages.

Amazon is acting unusually

The formation of the union is a thorn in the side of the Amazon administration. Already during the election, management threatened leaflets and employees with “no vote” on the company premises. Now it should finally be enough for the executive position: he resigned a few days ago 6 logistics managers At Staten Island Camp. The process is seen by observers as a reaction to the failure to block union elections in early April.

Starbucks is also nervous

The Starbucks situation is similarly tense: employees in more than 200 locations are currently voting on whether a union should represent their interests. “Starbucks Workers United” is a partner of the “Service Employees International Union” and fights for fair pay and good work.

Starbucks managers want to prevent the formation of unions at all costs. So the company is taking drastic action: last week the group announced pay rises and improvements in the event of illness. But it should only happen on those branches There is no workers’ union There are. Management plays employees against each other and wants to prevent workers’ concerns from being heard and heard.

Legal action

As if that weren’t enough, the company recently released its first quarter results. Conclusion: Starbucks managed to make a profit of US $ 675 million in the first quarter – again 2 percent more than the previous year. So pay rises can be easily achieved for all employees.

Trade union representatives announced that a lawsuit would be filed against the administration. According to a former Labor Authority lawyer, the company’s conduct may be illegal.