Sen. Ruben Gallego Joins Starbucks Picket Line In Arizona | EUROtoday

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) joined Starbucks baristas at a picket line in Arizona in solidarity with their ongoing strike in opposition to the multibillion-dollar espresso firm after going years with no union contract.

“Instead of trying to negotiate in good faith, they just engage in unfair labor practices over and over again,” Gallego advised staff on Friday exterior a closed Starbucks retailer in Gilbert, a suburb of Phoenix. “This is the stuff that happens when corporate power does not want to give way to worker power.”

Gallego is the second senator this month to go to Starbucks staff on the picket line, which escalated earlier this 12 months when organizers expanded the strike to shops in dozens of cities throughout the nation. Progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) marched with placing baristas alongside New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in Brooklyn, New York.

The Arizona Democrat, a U.S. Marines veteran who was elected to the Senate in 2024, has been making strikes in current months which have fueled hypothesis a couple of potential run for the White House in 2028. He lately unveiled a plan to deal with rising vitality prices, and he’s gotten a lot of consideration on nationwide tv applications for his combative method to congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump.

Gallego’s sturdy assist for the labor motion, a key Democratic constituency, in addition to his use of Sanders-like rhetoric of taking up company America and rich pursuits, is probably going solely so as to add to the presidential buzz.

“I do think that unions are coming back and becoming stronger,” Gallego stated in a telephone interview with HuffPost on Friday. “Part of the reason why is the economic situation in this country. We have a more unequal country than we’ve had for a while. Some of the corporations are seeing massive pay raises for their shareholders, and huge payouts for CEOs, but the workers are not seeing the benefits.”

Starbucks staff at greater than 600 shops across the nation are attempting to barter their first collective bargaining agreements with the corporate. Despite successful their first-ever union election in 2021, Starbucks staff are nonetheless ready on their first union contract. Federal labor prosecutors have accused Starbucks of illegally firing union supporters, making illegal threats and refusing to cut price with staff all through the marketing campaign.

Starbucks maintains it’s been bargaining in good religion and has accused the union of strolling away from the negotiating desk.

Gallego advised HuffPost that bringing consideration to the placing staff would assist them safe a contract.

“Starbucks and big corporations would love nothing more for these workers to lose motivation, to quit, and go back to work,” he stated. “By showing public support, bringing attention, and encouraging consumers to not cross the picket line, we can force Starbucks to negotiate in good faith.”

“Also, by making sure labor laws are fairly implemented and that unfair labor practices are not taking place,” he added.