Last week, the Fair Workweek Initiative (FWI), anchored by the Center for Popular Democracy, released a new report, “The Grind: Striving for Scheduling Fairness at Starbucks,” which reveals that many Starbucks employees across the country continue to struggle with issues that range from unpredictable schedules with just a few days notice, to back-to-back ‘clopening’ shifts, to retaliation and insufficient access to earned sick time.

The report was the centerpiece of The New York Times’ most recent exposé, “Starbucks Falls Short After Pledging Better Labor Practices.” The media coverage came amidst increasing pressure from Starbucks workers around the country.

On Tuesday morning, baristas in Atlanta engaged Starbucks customers in line for their morning coffee about the need for improved scheduling practices. “We delivered a letter asking for Howard Schultz to treat us like true partners by meeting with us to find solutions to fix these scheduling issues,” said Freddy, a barista who participated in the Atlanta protest organized with Rise Up Georgia, an Atlanta community organization. Also, Ciara Moran, a Starbucks barista and a member of Make the Road Connecticut, started an online petition against clopenings at Starbucks. Over 16,000 people have signed so far. 

In response to the pressure applied by workers and the FWI, Starbucks released an internal memo calling on managers to “go the extra mile” to address the scheduling issues of their frontline workers.

The worker leaders and their allies will be watching Starbucks closely to hold them accountable to their promises – and you can help too. Visit the Fair Workweek Initiative website to read our new report, sign the petition, and become involved in the growing movement for a Fair Workweek.