Successful Campaigns

WE WON! Starbucks announced on January 24, 2018 that it is finally going to offer paid parental leave to all employees. I am so full of love and happiness to know that partners like me will have some protected, paid time to welcome new children to their lives. Starbucks is only one company, but it’s a leader and many other companies follow its example when it comes to how to treat employees. Starbucks is still giving its corporate executives MUCH more parental leave than it gives everyone else (corporate moms still get 3x the leave as baristas, and corporate dads get 2x more) but now, nobody is left out.

After Associates delivered more than 20,000 petition signatures to dozens of stores around the country, Walmart implemented a new process for scheduling shifts. Associates from stores around the U.S. are reporting that when they clock in for a shift, a new screen asks them if they would like more hours. We're told managers are being instructed to provide Associates with more hours when requested. This is a major victory for Walmart Associates who've spent years speaking out about Walmart's scheduling practices, which left many workers without enough hours to pay their bills.

This weekend I got the most exciting email in my inbox: a photo of a flyer explaining Marriott’s brand-new paid family leave policy! It says starting next year, many full-time Marriott employees will get eight weeks of fully paid parental leave for all parents. The new policy includes the same amount of leave for adoptive parents as well as increasing Marriott’s total reimbursement for adoption expenses to $12,000. It’s so important to celebrate every victory we achieve because of the real impact it will have on people’s lives. But we also want to acknowledge that right now, thousands of Marriott employees are on strike demanding better wages, job security, and improved workplace safety. Those employees are not included in this new policy.

We did it! Publix said it will allow store employees to wear beards starting on September 29, 2018.

On Tuesday October 3, farmworker leaders from Migrant Justice and the CEO of Ben & Jerry’s jointly signed the Milk with Dignity agreement. The legally-binding contract establishes Ben & Jerry’s as the first company in the dairy industry to implement the worker-driven human rights program. This momentous occasion marks the beginning of a new day for dairy, one that provides economic relief and support to struggling farm owners, in the form of a premium paid by Ben & Jerry’s, while ensuring dignity and respect for farmworkers.

Contract has been ratified.

WHEN WE ORGANIZE, WE WIN!! Thank you for signing on to amplify the call for our employers to say NO to tech for warfare. Today we learned that Google will not renew its AI contract with the Department of Defense. (Read the story here https://gizmodo.com/google-plans-not-to-renew-its-contract-for-project-mave-1826488620) We, employees of the tech industry claim this as our victory, but we also acknowledge this is just step one. We will continue to fight for Microsoft, IBM and Amazon to follow Google’s lead, and we will continue to fight for the tech industry’s commitment to no more future military contracts.

The Congressional budget bill now includes a provision to protect tips as the property of workers! Following the momentum of 350,000 restaurant workers, their allies, and YOU coming together to push back on Trump’s proposed rule to make tips the property of workers—and Sec. of Labor Acosta admitting that tips should be the property of workers—restaurant workers and allies are now poised to celebrate. Today, Congress included in its omnibus budget bill a provision that will codify protections for tipped restaurant workers against employers, supervisors, and managers taking any portion of their tips. Let’s keep the momentum going!

Starbucks announced that it has changed its dress code and will now allow employees to show non-offensive visible tattoos, as long as they are not on the face or throat, effective on Monday, October 20, 2014. I am jumping up and down and am so excited that we can now be more comfortable at work! I'm thrilled that Starbucks listened to feedback from employees like me and has updated its policy. I'm also so thankful to the thousands of baristas and supporters who joined my campaign and shared their stories about why this is important. I never thought my petition on Coworker.org would be signed by so many baristas around the world and it’s great that when we come together, we can make our company better. I’m ecstatic and going out to buy a short sleeve shirt for work right now!