Letters: Unionization efforts brewing as Westerville Starbucks fight attempts to stop them
Starbucks bigwigs fear unions
The wealthy shareholders who run Starbucks are wasting millions of dollars on lawyers and anti-union propaganda to stop their working-class employees from organizing.
The determined workers at the 533 S. State St. (Westerville) Starbucks have seen what the corporation can get away with when there’s no balance in power that a union establishes. Their wages and hours were cut and their pandemic safety protocols stripped away all while the company made near-record net profits of $4.2 billion last year.
More: Downtown Columbus Starbucks employees win union election
Starbucks refers to the workers as “partners” and “family.” I wouldn’t want to be in a family that subjects me to the union-busting tactics that Starbucks is deploying. Union workers earn an average of 10% higher wages, have better working conditions, and have more rights protected than non-union workers.
It’s understandable why the billionaire Seattleite CEO of Starbucks and its millionaire shareholders are afraid of the 30 employees at the Starbucks in Westerville. Because when they unionize, they’re no longer just the Westerville Starbucks, but a union of thousands of workers across the country.
More: Second Columbus Starbucks seeks unionization representation
If they win their union vote June 29, they’ll be the second location in Columbus to unionize, joining more than 150 locations across the country.
Taylor Dorrell, Columbus
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A 'water balloon' revolution?
Joe Biden made two statements this past week I found interesting if not perplexing. He stated that he was going to do everything in his power to lower the price of gas and food.
More: Joe Biden pressed by Jimmy Kimmel on gun control: 'Can't you issue an executive order?'
The second took place on the late night Jimmy Kimmel show. He stated if the Supreme Court changed on law on Roe v. Wade, it could bring on a mini-revolution.
My question is: What's a mini-revolution? Would it be like throwing water balloons at your neighbor's home?
Michael J. Loehrer, Dublin
AEP 'passed the buck'
Regarding the AEP power outages: We moved to Columbus from Chicago 15 years ago, and one of the first warnings we received was the probability of power outages in both winter and summer. Sure enough, it began to happen. For AEP to "buck pass" the reasons for the outages is, well, outrageous.
More: AEP says 'very, very unusual occurrence' causing outages— this is not the new normal
First, there is corporate responsibility. AEP does not enhance its reputation by providing excuses. Just say it: AEP does not efficiently manage its electrical grid. See the Pacific Gas and Electric debacle for an example of what not to do.
Second, for a capitalist enterprise to hide behind the language of trying to equalize and share the burdens of outages is the height of hypocrisy. In its attempt to offset the real costs to consumers, it attempts to make us feel that we are all part of some larger community-sharing. Baloney!
More: Opinion: AEP's 'intentional power outage' cruel to those already struggling to beat heat
Meanwhile, there is not equitable sharing of lost money through spoiled food, hotel stays, disrupted lives. Where is the refund that consumers deserve for AEP's failure to live up to its share of our electrical contract?
David Frolick, Columbus
Not what we meant by 'do something'
Gov. DeWine has added liberalizing arming teachers and concealed carry laws to his “Do Something” initiative.
I don’t think that is was most of us had in mind, sir.
John Wittmann, Columbus
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Letters: Westerville Starbucks employees seeking unionization
