by Andrew D
On a frigid, blustery Christmas Eve, the workers at the Starbucks on 53rd St & Elmore Ave in Davenport stood defiant at the busy intersection. Workers at hundreds of stores organized under Starbucks Workers United had been on strike since December 20th, and now it was these workers’ turn. The workers did not stand alone, though: for they had the socialists.
From the first unionized store in 2021, DSA has been on the frontline of supporting the budding Starbucks union drive, with many members serving as lead organizers of shops across the states. QCDSA had been supporting this very store in Davenport since they unionized earlier that year, building solidarity with the workers through their organizing journey. Starbucks has been negotiating with the union for their first contract, but the company had offered a measly 2% pay bump. As socialists, we understand that workers run the world, therefore, their wage should reflect it. So, the union chose to start rolling strikes at one of the most profitable times of the year for the company.
In order for the strike to be successful we reached out and mobilized our members to the picket line, staffing the picket line with a DSA member from start to finish. We brought food, handwarmers, and good vibes to the picket line. We promoted a GoFundMe for a strike fund, raising over $1800 for Iowa Starbucks workers to replace their lost wages during the strike.
But don’t take it from me, here’s what some of our members had to say:
“As soon as I walked up to the picket line at my local Davenport Starbucks, I was greeted with warm smiles, hand warmers, offers for snacks and water, and a sign to hold in solidarity. I had amazing conversations with the fellow picketers, and was amazed to see the support for union organizing shown by the cars honking their approval and flashing peace signs and waves out their windows. About halfway through, the manager of a neighboring chain food store came by and dropped off bags of fresh made food for everyone picketing. It got me thinking, what if all these stores on these corners got together to demand more. What if we all felt this feeling, of how powerful and joyous we are in solidarity.” – Ajooni S
“As a rank-and-file member of a union that has existed in my shop since before I was even born, it was inspiring to see and stand with workers who are fighting for a first contract of their own. With all the reactionary things going on around us, it’s great to see revolutionary spirit in our own backyard. I am proud to be part of an organization like QCDSA that walks the walk and shows up to support workers in any way we can!” – Kelly R
Support the workers by visiting sbworkersunited.org, and check with QCDSA for any future labor actions.