CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
title
A RESOLUTION expressing the Seattle City Council's support for workers at
Starbucks in Seattle who are attempting to form a union, and urging
Starbucks to accept card check neutrality.
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WHEREAS, union representation has important benefits for workers, particularly for workers of color, including better pay, benefits, working conditions, and job security. The Union Members - 2020 report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on January 22, 2021, found that in 2020 "[n]onunion workers had median weekly earnings that were 84 percent of earnings for workers who were union members"; and
WHEREAS, on December 6, 2021, Bloomberg reported that U.S. corporations are amassing record profits, explaining that "third-quarter after-tax corporate profits from current production amounted to 11% of gross domestic product, ... more profits in the three months ended in September than ever before. Not just in dollar terms-something that happens frequently-but as a share of the economy"; and
WHEREAS, on October 28, 2021,
Starbucks issued a press release claiming "Record Q4 and Full Year Fiscal 2021 Results," and "Consolidated net revenues of $29.1 billion increased 24% (21% on a 52-week basis) from the prior year"; and
WHEREAS, on September 2, 2021, Gallup reported 68 percent of adults in the U.S. support labor unions, the highest approval rate since 1965, and 77 percent of young adults (18- to 34-year-olds) support unions; and
WHEREAS, in December 2021, workers employed at two
Starbucks locations in Buffalo, New York, successfully voted to unionize into
Starbucks Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and are currently fighting for a first contract; and
WHEREAS,
Starbucks executives are notorious for opposing the unionization of their workforce, employing tactics that workers have described as "union busting"; and
WHEREAS, on October 13, 2021, WIVB, the CBS affiliate in Buffal...
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