英语 英语 日语 日语 韩语 韩语 法语 法语 德语 德语 西班牙语 西班牙语 意大利语 意大利语 阿拉伯语 阿拉伯语 葡萄牙语 葡萄牙语 越南语 越南语 俄语 俄语 芬兰语 芬兰语 泰语 泰语 泰语 丹麦语 泰语 对外汉语

美国国家公共电台 NPR--Starbucks workers have unionized at record speed; many fear retaliation now

时间:2023-09-05 03:19来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
特别声明:本栏目内容均从网络收集或者网友提供,供仅参考试用,我们无法保证内容完整和正确。如果资料损害了您的权益,请与站长联系,我们将及时删除并致以歉意。
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

Starbucks workers have unionized at record speed; many fear retaliation1 now

Transcript2

Starbucks workers are busy this fall, and not just with making pumpkin3 spice lattes. This month, workers from hundreds of unionized Starbucks stores are expected to sit down for collective bargaining for the first time, while others will vote in still more union elections to come.

So far, more than 300 Starbucks stores in close to three dozen states have had union elections — a stunning4 number, given not a single company-owned store had a union at this time last year. Even more remarkable5 is that 80% of them, or around 245 stores, have gone in favor of forming a union.

In the past week, Starbucks locations in Washington, D.C., Albuquerque, N.M., and Westlake, Ohio, became the latest to join the national union Workers United.

The impressive numbers showcase how Starbucks baristas have turned a grassroots campaign into a national labor6 movement with lightning speed.

But they hide another plain truth, which is that unionized stores make up less than 3% of the 9,000 company-operated Starbucks stores around the country. What's more, the number of stores petitioning to hold union elections has dropped dramatically in recent months. The flood of activity in the first half of the year, with a high of 71 petitions filed in March, gave way to a summer lull7, with eight petitions filed in August.

Starbucks is facing more than 325 unfair labor practice charges

Organizers blame the slowdown in their momentum8 on what they call Starbucks' "scorched-earth" campaign to crush the union.

Under its legendary9 CEO Howard Schultz, who returned to lead Starbucks in April, the company has taken a wide array of measures to aggressively fight the union — from blanketing employee communications with anti-union messaging, including in one-on-one meetings, to announcing raises and benefits for nonunion stores only, to firing workers identified as union leaders.

Starbucks has forged ahead with these actions despite being charged with violating the federal labor law that protects workers' rights to organize. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is tasked with investigating the more than 325 unfair labor practice charges brought by the union.

So far, NLRB regional offices around the country have issued 35 formal complaints against Starbucks, citing the company for coercing10, threatening and firing employees over their union activities and withholding11 wage increases and benefits from unionizing stores.

Starbucks denies any wrongdoing.

"We respect our partners' right to organize but believe the best future is created directly with partners and not a third party," company spokesman Reggie Borges said in a statement.

Union organizers say that the company's tactics are working: Starbucks' sustained campaign has had its intended chilling effect.

Added benefits for nonunion stores have led newcomers to question the union

Starbucks has one clear and consistent message: Employees don't need a union because the company has always provided for them — with competitive wages, health care, free college tuition and other benefits.

To prove the point, back in May, Schultz announced raises and a slate12 of new benefits for Starbucks employees, including faster sick time accrual13, expanded training opportunities and credit card tipping.

(Many baristas cite tipping as a central issue in their demands, because unlike at many cafes and dine-out restaurants, credit card machines at Starbucks do not allow or prompt customers to add tips.)

But there was a catch. Schultz said the newly announced raises and benefits would apply only to nonunion stores.

"We do not have the same freedom to make these improvements at locations that have a union or where union organizing is underway," Schultz told shareholders14 at the time.

Almost immediately, Workers United filed an unfair labor practice charge against Starbucks, accusing the company of misleading employees and violating labor law by threatening benefits amid a union campaign.

But those complaints and others have done nothing to deter15 Starbucks. Since then, Starbucks has unveiled even more benefits — including financial tools aimed at helping16 employees build savings17 and manage student loan debt — again, for nonunion stores only.

The company has posted flyers about these new benefits in back rooms of stores, including unionized ones. What should be good news for workers has muddied the union's messaging and its efforts to expand to more stores. It's led new workers at unionized stores to question the point of a union.

"They kind of get a little angry because they're like, 'Well, how come we're not getting these benefits?'" says Gailyn Berg, who works at a unionized Starbucks in Falls Church, Va.

Berg, a shift supervisor18 who uses the pronoun "they," transferred to the Falls Church store after spearheading a failed union drive at another Starbucks location 10 miles away. Since then, turnover19 at the new store has been high. A lot of the original union supporters left for college or other jobs soon after the election. They've been replaced by newcomers who don't know much, if anything, about the organizing effort.

"So we really have to start from the beginning," Berg says.

Disheartened, Berg has backed away from the "gung-ho — gotta unionize them all!" attitude they'd embraced earlier in the year. But they haven't abandoned the fight.

Berg is now more distrustful of Starbucks than ever before. They believe the raises and benefits that Starbucks is giving nonunion stores could be taken away at a moment's notice. They're fighting not only to get everything that's been granted to nonunion stores, but to have all of it written into a union contract.

"There's definitely some security in having that union," says Berg. "It's like insurance."

Even at unionized stores, fear of retaliation is prevalent

Meanwhile, those still pushing for a union at Starbucks say they remain fearful that they could lose their jobs at any time.

"We're scared. We're terrified," says Jasmine Leli, a barista and union leader in Buffalo20, N.Y. "We just want to go to work like everybody else and do our jobs and not have to worry [about] when the other shoe is going to drop."

She has good reason to be worried. Workers United says Starbucks has fired more than 100 union leaders. Federal labor officials investigating the dismissals have concluded that some employees were indeed wrongfully terminated, including seven in Memphis.

A federal judge in western Tennessee ordered the company to reinstate the seven workers. Starbucks said it disagreed with the judge's ruling, maintaining that those fired had violated company policies.

Penalties for violating federal labor law are weak

Beyond issuing complaints, the NLRB has little power to change the company's behavior. Congress prohibits the NLRB from assessing monetary21 penalties for unfair labor practices. Starbucks faces no fines, only "make whole" remedies such as back pay for reinstated workers and compensation for medical, legal and moving costs associated with firings.

"The penalties for breaking the National Labor Relations Act are quite weak, and that's a huge problem because it doesn't really serve as a deterrent," says Rebecca Givan, associate professor of labor studies at Rutgers University. "Employers decide that it's just worth it to break the law because the consequences are fairly mild."

Amid the union fight, coffee sales have risen

At the store level, union supporters have concluded that Starbucks just doesn't care about labor laws.

"I don't really think it matters to them," says Leli.

For Berg, it's more personal.

"They don't seem to really care about us at all," Berg says. "Howard Schultz, in particular, seems very busy trying to just continue on doing his thing, and not not really acknowledging the fact that he has lost faith of so many of us that really believed in him."

Indeed, Schultz continues to be very good at the very thing that Starbucks is known for: selling coffee. All the negative publicity22 surrounding the company's anti-union activity doesn't appear to have hurt its sales.

Starbucks' revenue rose in the third quarter of this year, exceeding expectations. Customer loyalty23 — measured through the growing number of Starbucks rewards members — remains24 strong. In August, the company projected net new U.S. store growth of 3% to 4% annually25 over the next few years.

Schultz seems satisfied with all this progress and is preparing to exit the company once again. Starbucks announced that his successor Laxman Narasimhan, who officially joined the company Oct. 1, will take over as CEO next spring.

The workers will soon get their chance to collectively bargain for a contract

After growing criticism from the union, which alleged26 delay tactics, Starbucks last week said it had sent letters to 234 unionized stores, offering three-week windows in October for members of the bargaining teams to come to the table. To date, only three Starbucks stores have begun contract negotiations27, and no store is close to settling on a contract.

"We look forward to these negotiations and hopefully setting dates and securing locations for contract bargaining," Starbucks said in a statement.

The union, too, says it's ready.

A national bargaining committee made up of about 50 Starbucks employees is meeting weekly, mapping out strategies ahead of the talks. They've begun unveiling a set of noneconomic proposals addressing topics such as health and safety and nondiscrimination in the workplace.

"We've been planning for months," says Leli, who sits on the committee and has worked to gather input28 from thousands of employees around the country. "We want to make sure everyone feels seen and heard."


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 retaliation PWwxD     
n.报复,反击
参考例句:
  • retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
  • He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 transcript JgpzUp     
n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书
参考例句:
  • A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
  • They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。
3 pumpkin NtKy8     
n.南瓜
参考例句:
  • They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
  • It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你!
4 stunning NhGzDh     
adj.极好的;使人晕倒的
参考例句:
  • His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
  • The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。
5 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
参考例句:
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
6 labor P9Tzs     
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦
参考例句:
  • We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
  • He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后,他已经疲惫不堪了。
7 lull E8hz7     
v.使安静,使入睡,缓和,哄骗;n.暂停,间歇
参考例句:
  • The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。
  • Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后,地面战又突然爆发了。
8 momentum DjZy8     
n.动力,冲力,势头;动量
参考例句:
  • We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
  • The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。
9 legendary u1Vxg     
adj.传奇(中)的,闻名遐迩的;n.传奇(文学)
参考例句:
  • Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
  • Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。
10 coercing ed7ef81e2951ec8e292151785438e904     
v.迫使做( coerce的现在分词 );强迫;(以武力、惩罚、威胁等手段)控制;支配
参考例句:
  • All of the children had atopic dermatis coercing at least 20% of their body surface area. 所有的患儿体表有超过20%的遗传性过敏症皮炎感染。 来自互联网
  • I assured him that we had no intention of coercing Israel in response a Soviet threat. 我向他保证,我们无意强迫以色列对苏联的威胁做出反映。 来自互联网
11 withholding 7eXzD6     
扣缴税款
参考例句:
  • She was accused of withholding information from the police. 她被指控对警方知情不报。
  • The judge suspected the witness was withholding information. 法官怀疑见证人在隐瞒情况。
12 slate uEfzI     
n.板岩,石板,石片,石板色,候选人名单;adj.暗蓝灰色的,含板岩的;vt.用石板覆盖,痛打,提名,预订
参考例句:
  • The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
  • What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢?
13 accrual e249de9c52d96678cac672f1987b7771     
n.获利;利息;自然增长;自然增长物
参考例句:
  • But these accrual run a system and give due effectiveness without play. 但这些收益治理系统并没有发挥出应有的效用。 来自互联网
  • Article 5 The company employ the Accrual Basis Accounting principle. 第五条本企业应当根据权责发生制的原则记账。 来自互联网
14 shareholders 7d3b0484233cf39bc3f4e3ebf97e69fe     
n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
  • the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任
15 deter DmZzU     
vt.阻止,使不敢,吓住
参考例句:
  • Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
  • Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。
16 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
17 savings ZjbzGu     
n.存款,储蓄
参考例句:
  • I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假,那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
  • By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时,他的存款已全部用完。
18 supervisor RrZwv     
n.监督人,管理人,检查员,督学,主管,导师
参考例句:
  • Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说,我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
  • He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。
19 turnover nfkzmg     
n.人员流动率,人事变动率;营业额,成交量
参考例句:
  • The store greatly reduced the prices to make a quick turnover.这家商店实行大减价以迅速周转资金。
  • Our turnover actually increased last year.去年我们的营业额竟然增加了。
20 buffalo 1Sby4     
n.(北美)野牛;(亚洲)水牛
参考例句:
  • Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
  • The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。
21 monetary pEkxb     
adj.货币的,钱的;通货的;金融的;财政的
参考例句:
  • The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
  • Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
22 publicity ASmxx     
n.众所周知,闻名;宣传,广告
参考例句:
  • The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
  • He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事,只当它是一种宣传手法。
23 loyalty gA9xu     
n.忠诚,忠心
参考例句:
  • She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
  • His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。
24 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
25 annually VzYzNO     
adv.一年一次,每年
参考例句:
  • Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
  • They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
26 alleged gzaz3i     
a.被指控的,嫌疑的
参考例句:
  • It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
  • alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为
27 negotiations af4b5f3e98e178dd3c4bac64b625ecd0     
协商( negotiation的名词复数 ); 谈判; 完成(难事); 通过
参考例句:
  • negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
  • Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。
28 input X6lxm     
n.输入(物);投入;vt.把(数据等)输入计算机
参考例句:
  • I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
  • All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。
本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎点击提交分享给大家。
------分隔线----------------------------
TAG标签:   美国新闻  英语听力  NPR
顶一下
(0)
0%
踩一下
(0)
0%
最新评论 查看所有评论
发表评论 查看所有评论
请自觉遵守互联网相关的政策法规,严禁发布色情、暴力、反动的言论。
评价:
表情:
验证码:
听力搜索
推荐频道
论坛新贴