PDX Jobs with Justice
by sarahjwjpdxorg
June 3, 2022
The workers, united, will never be defeated! The unstoppable Starbucks Workers United, SBWUPDX, won again, Tuesday 6/7 at the embattled Jantzen Beach (JB) store in a 10-5 sweep! JB has been the site of fierce struggle between union activists and company managers. One JB barista, Matt Thornton, was fired for union organizing. JB workers, with community support, shut the store down twice in protest, once with a rally (in which JWJ co-Chair Jacob Faatz spoke) and once with a strike (in which Rev. Connie Yost from JWJ’s Faith Labor Committee spoke.) See below for Rev. Connie Yost’s invocation from the picket line!
We cheer that Portland Starbucks baristas are 9 for 9 in the Portland area! Jantzen Beach workers join union baristas who won their unions June 2nd: Jenkins at Cedar Hills (voted 10-2), Walker Road (voted 12-5), Garden Home (voted 12-1.) Prior to that victories were won at Westmoreland (voted 9-1), SE Powell/28th (voted 14-2), SW 5th/Oak (voted 5-0), 23/Burnside (voted 9-2), Grand/Lloyd (voted 9-0.).
The outpouring of community support–the countless rallies, sip-ins for #UnionStrong coffee, car caravans, social media support, and standing with striking baristas on the picket line — has been critical every step of the way! Starbucks workers keep winning, and have already won over 135 unions nation-wide, in the face of a vicious anti-worker campaign led by CEO Howard Schultz. When workers unite, they win. When labor and community unite, it’s a movement – together we make more movement wins possible!