Corporate opposition to the unionization efforts at Starbucks continued this week
that it would be raising wages to at least $15 per hour in the summer of 2022, hitting an average pay of nearly $17 per hour for all hourly partners in the United States in the same period. But while yesterday’s call outlined the company’s raise and benefit plans more clearly, it also stated —— that many of them won’t be extended to unionized stores or stores in the process of unionizing.
Yesterday’s announcement specified that the aforementioned wage increases will be effective August 1, with anyone hired on or before May 2 receiving “either a 3 percent raise or $15/hour, whichever is higher.” In addition, it made clear the raise scale for “tenured partners” with over two and five years with the company, and called out that the company will “double [its] planned investments” in raises for manager positions on August 1.
In response to the announcement, Starbucks Workers United said in a statement: “This threat is blatantly unlawful and a continuation of the union-busting campaign. Starbucks is permitted by law to offer these benefits to workers at unionized stores. Our bargaining committees will demand that these modest improvements be given immediately to all the partners, and ultimately Howard Schultz’ union-busting maneuvers will not work.