Starbucks Coffee Company

Starbucks Coffee Company is one of the fastest growing companies in recent US history. There are approximately 10,000 stores and opens an average of 20 stores per month. Starbucks has several disconcerting qualities in regards to how its employees, also known as baristas, are compensated. For example, baristas are not guaranteed hours; full-time status is only available to management; and a need for increased pay and a safer, healthier work environment are issues that have lead to the formation of the Starbucks Workers Union, a branch of the well known Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).

Global Communications relates to Starbucks due to the fact that they are both dealing with unions that advocate for their rights. Although the Starbucks Union is not recognized by Starbucks, it has affected the welfare of baristas across the nation. In the case of Global Communications, the union stepped in when the company considered outsourcing and laying off the staff of its call center. Starbucks employees are also faced with these kinds of ethical issues due to its lack of union benefits such as higher pay, full-time and salary options, and guaranteed hours. Like Global Communications, the unofficial Starbucks Union has made strides to overturn these inequitable issues through discussions and forums.

"The IWW Starbucks Workers Union won a watershed victory over unfair labor practices in a conflict between the world's largest coffee chain and the baristas who work there. Faced with the prospect of having its widespread union-busting campaign exposed in a public hearing, Starbucks agreed to remedy all of the myriad violations committed against workers who have organized a union" (IWW Starbucks Workers Union, 2006).

In both situations, the Global Communications Union and the Starbucks