Message from Sara Kelly: Starbucks Update on Bargaining
Partners,
Today I’m sharing an important update on contract negotiations with Workers United to help address any questions or concerns that might be on your minds.
This week, Workers United delegates prematurely ended our bargaining session and refused to return to the bargaining table. It is certainly disappointing given the progress we’ve made to date; Since April we’ve held more than nine bargaining sessions over 20 days. We have reached more than 30 meaningful agreements on hundreds of topics Workers United delegates told us were important to them, including many economic issues.
Here are the facts:
- Over the last three years alone, we have invested over $3 billion in the Partner Experience.
- Starbucks offers a competitive average pay of over $18 per hour, and best-in-class benefits. The combination of our average pay and benefits equates to an average of $30 per hour for baristas who work at least 20 hours per week.
- These benefits include health care, 100% college tuition coverage, paid family leave, and company stock grants.
No other retailer offers this kind of comprehensive pay and benefits package. Workers United proposals call for an immediate increase in the minimum wage of hourly partners by 64%, and by 77% over the life of a three-year contract. These proposals are not sustainable, especially when the investments we continually make to our total benefits package are the hallmarks of what differentiates us as an employer – and, what makes us proud to work at Starbucks.
For more information, you can visit one.starbucks.com for the latest updates and facts.
We know our success starts and ends with our green apron partners and we are committed to enhancing every partner’s experience. We value direct relationships because the best person to speak for a partner is the partner. This week’s announcement on expanded parental leave benefits is a great example of this. Our benefit was already the best in retail, but after hearing from some partners who shared the leave as new parents wasn’t adequate, we reviewed the program and decided to make a change.
As we’ve said before where partners choose to be represented, we are committed to making sure we engage constructively and in good faith with the union and the partners it represents. We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements as soon as Workers United meets us back at the bargaining table.
Your partner,
Sara Kelly
executive vice president and chief partner officer