IWW Starbucks Union Condemns Starbucks Doubling Health Insurance Costs
Submitted on Fri, 07/31/2009 - 2:39pm
For Immediate Release:
IWW Starbucks Workers Union
Media Contacts:
Aaron Kocher - 612-220-6454
Liberte Locke - 917-693-7742
July 28, 2009
IWW Starbucks Union Condemns Starbucks Doubling Health Insurance Costs Health Coverage Cuts Come Amidst Soaring Profits
Starbucks, amid massive profits, announced on Monday that it will slash
at employee health care benefits. The company announced that premiums
for its most economical employee health care package will nearly
double, along with across the board increases in out-of-pocket
expenses. This slap in the face to workers comes just one week after
the announcement of $256 million in profits for the quarter, far
exceeding internal and Wall Street expectations.
These cuts are an insult to Starbucks workers, and the thousands of
workers who have been laid off in the last year. The increased costs of
health benefits will be a barrier to many workers thinking of
enrolling, forcing them to make the hard decision between health care
coverage and feeding their families.
We expect more from Starbucks as a leading Fortune 500 company that
builds its brand image on its treatment of its "partners", what it
calls employees. Starbucks has a responsibility to provide affordable,
quality healthcare to its workers, who are responsible for its enormous
profits. Instead, Starbucks continues to use health care benefits as a
marketing tool, while actually covering a lower percentage of its
workforce than the notoriously unethical Wal-Mart.
Starbucks has repeatedly shown that it cannot be trusted to compensate
us fairly. We believe as workers we must organize together to hold
Starbucks accountable, and give us the respect and dignity we deserve.
About the IWW Starbucks Workers Union:
The IWW Starbucks Workers Union is an organization of over 300 current
and former employees at the world's largest coffee chain united for
secure work hours, a living wage, and respect on the job. The union has
members throughout the United States and Canada, fighting for positive
change at the company and defending baristas treated unfairly by
management.