Starbucks coming to Brixton

[editor]

Here's how shitty Starbucks treats their staff - this protest took place in the States recently:

Omaha, NE- Baristas and community supporters shut down the 15th and Douglas Starbucks (SBUX) this morning demanding that management reverse all cuts to healthcare, staffing, and benefits that have been imposed during the recession. The baristas claim that executives have no justification to squeeze working families with Starbucks raking in profits of $977.2 million in the past four fiscal quarters.

“We are being squeezed, and we can’t take it any more. Since the recession began, Starbucks executives have ruthlessly gutted our standard of living. They doubled the cost of our health insurance, reduced staffing levels, cut our hours, all while demanding more work from us. Starbucks is now more than profitable again. It’s time for management to give back what they took from us,” said Sasha McCoy, a shift supervisor at the store.

Since the onset of the recession, Starbucks imposed a series of deep cuts on its workforce. Starting in 2008 as the economic downturn began, the coffee giant shuttered over 800 stores and slashed over 18000 jobs. The remaining skeleton crew workforce was stretched out, forced to push VIA and other promotional products while keeping the stores running with insufficient staffing levels. CEO Howard Schultz then doubled the cost of the company health insurance plan in September 2009, leaving many workers unable to afford medical treatment because of sky-high deductibles and premiums. While the cuts continue, Starbucks made a record profit of $207.9 million in the last quarter according to company figures.

http://athomehesaturista.wordpress....th-and-douglas-starbucks-to-protest-cutbacks/

And talking about people losing their jobs, let's not forget the thousands of workers dumped by Starbucks last year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...as-coffee-retailer-Starbucks-shuts-shops.html

 

[pogofish]

let's not forget the thousands of workers dumped by Starbucks last year.

The cuts I'm talking about have only been imposed in the last couple of months. So they will be on top of the ones you report.

I suppose that says a lot about Starbucks UK's continuing attitude towards their staff.

 

[London_Calling]

I had no idea . . . there are 155 of these within five miles of Charring Cross Station. 205 within ten miles.

http://www.starbucks.co.uk/en-GB/_Our+Stores/

 

[kyser_soze]

The High Street BS:

The High Street AS:

 

[London_Calling]

They should lay that with some nice stone and put in a water feature.

 

[Crispy]

As long as it's value for money, I don't mind

 

[editor]

I had no idea . . . there are 155 of these within five miles of Charring Cross Station. 205 within ten miles.

http://www.starbucks.co.uk/en-GB/_Our+Stores/

What's that got to do with the hundreds of people Starbucks laid off in the UK?

Still, at least the boss is doing OK, awarding himself a base wage of $1.3m while his company is busy sacking workers or slashing their wages and health benefits in the US.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8471500.stm

 

[teuchter]

Starbucks are hardly alone in closing stores, laying people off and trimming their business at the moment, though.

In any case, if we don't want a Starbucks in Brixton shouldn't we be pleased that they are shutting up shop elsewhere?

 

[London_Calling]

What's that got to do with the hundreds of people Starbucks laid off in the UK?

It wasn't intended as a related point. I just didn't know they had anywhere near that many outlets

My guess is they don't just open one outlet in a local area, that the strategy is to swamp areas, trying to strangle the competition. That would also be consistent with a non-franchising MO.

 

[passivejoe]

What's that got to do with the hundreds of people Starbucks laid off in the UK?

Still, at least the boss is doing OK, awarding himself a base wage of $1.3m while his company is busy sacking workers or slashing their wages and health benefits in the US.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8471500.stm

Well... Schultz is the founder of the company... grew it from nothing to the monster it is today and has recently, in the face of stiffer competition from McCafe etc, cut costs and saved the company's share price from plummeting. They had to lay off people to do it (as BA should be allowed to) in order to remain a competitive viable business that can continue to employ workers and continue to expand in Asia. Its just a business cycle... find an unexplored market / develop a new market, grow, face competition from new rivals who want a piece of your market, cut costs to compete as industry matures etc etc.

 

[kabbes]

Maybe I should go to Starbucks for lunch. This thread has put me in the mood for a cinnamon swirl.

 

[passivejoe]

Well... Schultz is the founder of the company... grew it from nothing to the monster it is today and has recently, in the face of stiffer competition from McCafe etc, cut costs and saved the company's share price from plummeting. They had to lay off people to do it (as BA should be allowed to) in order to remain a competitive viable business that can continue to employ workers and continue to expand in Asia. Its just a business cycle... find an unexplored market / develop a new market, grow, face competition from new rivals who want a piece of your market, cut costs to compete as industry matures etc etc.

BTW, not saying its morally right, just that its almost inevitable. Schultz could take a smaller salary but at CEO level for a company that big that is doing so well, it's not outrageous.

 

[ajdown]

Presumably enough people drink coffee to keep all these places in business.

Can't see why though. Disgusting stuff.

 

[London_Calling]

ajdown - isn't the monitor 6" in front of you? The way you have it suggests a rather long neck.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Gosh, have I been travelling that long? I come back and I don`t know how to work the buttons.

Main thing I want to say is about Belushi`s post number 330. Imo, paragraph two is bang on, but paragraph one is hooey.

When I try to type a question mark on this computer, what I get is a É.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

p.s. I`ve now been in 9 out of 10 Canadian provinces. I didn`t make it to Newfoundland. But in the 9 I have visited, there are Starbucks and local independent coffee houses. In fact, in the Maritime provinces, Timmy Ho`s, another chain, but one started in Canada, has it way over Starbucks in the number of outlets. The thing about Timmy Ho, is the coffee tastes good, and the iced drink is only $2.50 instead of five bucks.

I think the reason Timmy Ho has done so well, is because the coffee tastes good.

 

[editor]

Well... Schultz is the founder of the company... grew it from nothing to the monster it is today and has recently, in the face of stiffer competition from McCafe etc, cut costs and saved the company's share price from plummeting.

How fortunate that while he was busy sacking thousands of workers and leaving others unable to afford health cover, he still managed to trouser himself vast amounts of cash throughout.

Howard Schultz's base salary raised to $1.3 million for Starbucks' fiscal 2010
That's from about $10,000 in fiscal 2009, when the Starbucks CEO requested that it be reduced to the minimum necessary for him to continue receiving health-care and other benefits. Schultz's salary for the previous few years had been $1.2 million.

His total compensation in fiscal 2008 was $9.7 million. We're still waiting for a proxy filing to find out what it was in fiscal 2009, when he was not eligible for a standard bonus but did receive stock options, making his pay directly tied to Starbucks' stock performance. Shares rose 40 percent during Starbucks' fiscal 2009.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/coffeecity/2010302660_howard_schultzs_base_salary_ra.html

 

[PacificOcean]

Ah, for some reason on these boards working for an indie coffee shops means you are to earn £££.

While the owner of said indie coffee shop, gives all his profits to help the campaign in Pakistan.

While Starbucks pays less than the minimum wage (which I guarantee is what they are getting in San Marcos) and gives it all to blood diamond mines - no wait, they are listed company, which means their profits go to paying our pensions.

 

[PacificOcean]

How fortunate that while he was busy sacking thousands of workers and leaving others unable to afford health cover, he still managed to trouser himself vast amounts of cash throughout.

Do any of the independent coffee shops in Brixton provide their low paid workers with private health insurance?

 

[Crispy]

Do any of the independent coffee shops in Brixton provide their low paid workers with private health insurance?

No, because this isn't the USA and that's not how health provision works over here?

 

[PacificOcean]

No, because this isn't the USA and that's not how health provision works over here?

Right.

So what is the problem of low paid workers in Brixton getting a job (albeit a shitty one - though not necessarily, my favourite ever job was working at Burger King at the old Megabowl in Streatham) with a big company?

What's the difference between earning the minimum wage at San Marcos or Starbucks?

In these times any job opportunities has to be a good thing?

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Coffee shop chain workers don`t get health insurance provided by the company here either.

 

[pogofish]

Do any of the independent coffee shops in Brixton provide their low paid workers with private health insurance?

However, my posts refer to recent changes at Starbucks in the UK, where already low-paid workers have had to deal with a 20% cut in overall hours, which means that individually, they have to work much harder and earn less for the pleasure.

 

[PacificOcean]

However, my posts refer to recent changes at Starbucks in the UK, where already low-paid workers have had to deal with a 20% cut in overall hours, which means that individually, they have to work much harder and earn less for the pleasure.

I am not sure I follow. Their hours have been cut, so they have to make coffee faster?

 

[pogofish]

I am not sure I follow. Their hours have been cut, so they have to make coffee faster?

In most cases, it means staff rotas are adjusted so all staff work less hours, usually with fewer on duty at any one time. Which means less pay overall - Or vacancies are not filled, which means less folk to do the work.

 

[teuchter]

So. They are having a grand opening tomorrow. Who will be attending?

By the way, maybe it is yet to appear, but they seem to have omitted to provide a modesty strip on the glass facing into the stairs down to the tube.

 

[gaijingirl]

So. They are having a grand opening tomorrow. Who will be attending?

By the way, maybe it is yet to appear, but they seem to have omitted to provide a modesty strip on the glass facing into the stairs down to the tube.

took me a while to get this - but do you mean that you caught a flash of someone's knickers from the stairs?

Saw someone coming out this afternoon with one of those milkshakey looking things... quite stunned to see a Starbucks there somehow..

 

[teuchter]

took me a while to get this - but do you mean that you caught a flash of someone's knickers from the stairs?

No, because there wasn't anyone in there, but yes that's what I mean. If you look at most places which have stools for people to sit at by the window, there is an opaque band running along the window for this reason. Particularly where the pavement level is lower than the interior of the cafe, and definitely necessary on that window onto the stairs!

 

[Boudicca]

So now there's a Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/BanBoycott-Brixton-Starbuck/141775142520189

 

[Kanda]

So now there's a Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/BanBoycott-Brixton-Starbuck/141775142520189

Classy