What is the plural of Starbucks?

What do you think about the Starbucks Workers Union?

• "The SWU has made inroads among a section of the workforce--low-wage retail workers--that many unions have written off as too difficult to organize. Indeed, organized labor represents just 5 percent of workers in retail. Since its formation, the SWU has won a series of important National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rulings and achieved gains for baristas on the job. Given the dire straits workers face today, if Corporate America is worried about the "Starbucks problem," then union members and supporters should take a close look at the SWU" http://socialistworker.org/2009/04/17/standing-up-to-starbucks I think I'm going to Starbucks to get a white chocolate moche grande! Go Starbucks! And apparently, large corporations are a little worried about "the Starbucks problem" which doesn't sound like their employees have a caffeine problem!

• Answer:

  It’s fascinating to me that so many people that have benefited from the existence of the Labor movement are now rabidly anti-union. The propaganda/PR machines of the mega corporations blaming factory closings and loss of jobs on unions, instead of obsessive focus on profit as the only indicator of corporate success, has been amazingly successful. The first comment regarding minimum wage jobs being “stepping stones” and unworthy of the attention of organized labor is a significant contributor to the decline of the Labor movement in the US. Unfortunately, due largely to the US Government subsidized movement of manufacturing jobs to countries without any form of worker protection, these minimum wage jobs aren’t stepping stones for a lot of people – they’re the only way they have of making a living. The major Unions need to fully support this movement with every resource they have available or face their inevitable extinction as they are forced to concede more and more to those corporations and entities that still employ their declining member base. It’s heartening to see that people are still willing to risk their livelihood to fight for what is right, even if that is something as apparently minor as a $14 fan. The solution to the “the Starbucks Problem” is to treat people decently and end the management cultures that are willing to abuse workers to increase their share price from $22.00 to $22.50.