Labor Day 2023
Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community supports the Starbucks workers who are organizing democratic labor unions.
Our Unitarian Universalists principles affirm the “the inherent worth and dignity of every person” and call for “justice, equity, and compassion in human relations” as well as affirming the use of the democratic process in society at large.
In addition, Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community is aware of the current economic issues, including lingering economic effects of the pandemic, and our main focus has always been address income and wealth inequality, including helping to secure economic justice for young adults and other workers.
Starbucks employees in many communities continue to organize labor unions to gain workplace democracy, fair wages, adequate medical insurance, and healthy and safe working conditions, and continue to face repression of their efforts.
Unitarian Universalists are now developing their plans for the 2023 Labor Day weekend, and we encourage these to include information about the Starbucks workers’ efforts, as well as those of Amazon, Walmart, and Trader Joe’s, and Hollywood’s writers and artists.
Specific to Starbucks organizing, we ask individual Unitarian Universalists to respect picket lines and consumer boycott campaigns established by Starbucks employees in support of union organizing. We also call upon Unitarian Universalist congregations and the Unitarian Universalist Association to work in solidarity with the Starbucks workers who are organizing labor unions in the form of consumer boycotts, letters of support, and support for the mutual aid programs that help workers and their families during strikes.
We also ask congregations to designate the Sunday of Labor Day weekend as “Labor Sunday”, to be dedicated each year to honoring the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
