A Starbucks worker recently shared a video of themselves struggling at work, and it quickly became a hot topic online.
In the video, the employee talked about management issues and rude customers, but what really got people talking was their schedule.
The worker, who is also a student, said that working 25 hours a week with 8-hour weekend shifts was too much for them to handle.
Right away, people on social media had different opinions. Some said the worker was being too sensitive, while others argued that workplace stress and unfair conditions come in many forms.
Lately, Starbucks employees have been speaking up about their jobs. Earlier this month, workers at over 100 Starbucks locations went on strike to push for better conditions.
The strike happened on Red Cup Day, one of the busiest days of the year for Starbucks. This made the protest even more noticeable.
According to CNN, more than 2,000 employees took part in the strike. The union said workers were protesting against the company’s actions toward those who support union efforts. They also claimed Starbucks was refusing to negotiate a fair labor contract.
So far, 264 Starbucks stores have voted to join the union, but none of them have been able to secure a contract, even those that voted almost a year ago.
A worker named Tyler Keeling, who has been at Starbucks for six years, said the strike was meant to show that employees were serious. “We’re done with their anti-union actions and them avoiding negotiations,” he said.
Starbucks, however, denied that it has punished workers for supporting the union. The company also said that the delays in contract negotiations were the union’s fault.
Starbucks has defended firing some employees, saying it was simply enforcing rules that apply to all workers, whom it refers to as “partners.”
But the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has stepped in. It filed a legal request to stop Starbucks from punishing union supporters.
The NLRB argued that Starbucks had engaged in a pattern of unfair labor practices, including firing workers involved in the union effort.
