20-Year Starbucks Veteran Begs Howard Schultz to Listen
Daniella Griep has worked at 7 locations throughout the past 22 years.
Daniela Griep has worked at Starbucks for twenty year at seven different stores. She’s furious at Howard Schultz’s anti-union rhetoric and has a message for him: “Change is coming to this company.
Griep has witnessed firsthand how Starbucks culture has changed in the twenty years since she joined the coffee chain. Communication has broken down between workers and Starbucks corporate. Marketing strategies like mobile ordering, delivery, and drink add-ons have helped the company rake in profits, but put strain on baristas who aren’t given the proper training or compensation to implement the new tools.
Workers across the country are fighting to unionize to push for a better Starbucks culture for all partners, Griep explains: “We want to do another 50 years, but the right way.”
She says the historic union win in Buffalo has inspired Starbucks workers across the country, including at her own store in Hamilton, New Jersey. “When I first heard about the union campaign in Buffalo, my heart swelled,” Griep says.
She believes the moment is now for Starbucks workers to unionize. Her store started its union election and will have a vote count in the near future.
Including Griep’s store, 67 Starbucks locations will vote whether or not to unionize between now and May 31. For more updates on unionizing Starbucks locations, check out our comprehensive map here.
