STARBUCKS WORKERS STRIKE

STARBUCKS WORKERS WANT A SEAT AT THE COFFEE TABLE

A Eugene Starbucks may be the first in Oregon to unionize following a nationwide trend. BY ALEXIS WEISEND

The drive-thru line is empty at the Starbucks on Willamette Street in Eugene, Ore. on Jan. 21, 2022. (Jackson Knox/Emerald) (Lynette Slape/Emerald)

Janessa Voyce, a freshman at the University of Oregon studying music composition, sat in her History 203 class learning about how America’s early labor movements went down in history. Little did her classmates know, she was making history herself at the local Starbucks where she works.

Employees of the Starbucks at East 29th and Willamette in Eugene began discussing unionizing after a store in Buffalo, New York became the first Starbucks store to unionize in December 2021. Voyce, a barista at the 29th and Willamette Starbucks, said unionizing did not seem like an option until she heard the Buffalo store’s success story.

If triumphant, Voyce’s store would be the first Starbucks to unionize in Oregon. “Our main goal is to really make sure we have a voice that can be heard by the company through unionism,” she said.

It only took three days to get 23 out of the store’s 25 employees to sign a petition to become unionized, Ky Fireside, a barista at the East 29th and Willamette Starbucks, said. The two employees that did not sign were out of town and on a leave of absence, Fireside said.

Concerns over Starbucks’ COVID-19 policies and low pay motivated the store’s employees to attempt unionizing, Fireside said.

Jake LaMourie, a barista at the East 29th and Willamette Starbucks, said he left his previous Starbucks store in Portland due to its unsafe COVID-19 practices and filed for unemployment benefits, which is allowed under federal law. However, Starbucks threatened to take him to court for doing so, he said.

LaMourie and Fireside said baristas cannot advocate for higher pay without organizing.

“There's just no way for us to talk to them,” Fireside said of Starbucks corporate powers. “The union would provide that for us — it would provide some kind of seat at the table.”

Starbucks’ union-busting efforts in Buffalo also drove its store’s unionization, Fireside said.

“I've watched the company go downhill in seven years,” Fireside said. “We watched what was happening in Buffalo, and I think if they had just been allowed to unionize — if Starbucks would have voluntarily recognized their union — I would have looked at it and went, ‘Oh, that's cool. That's nice.’ But instead, Starbucks put up this huge fight, and it pissed me off.”

Starbucks Executive Vice President Rossann Williams released a statement about the Buffalo store on Dec. 20, 2021.

“From the beginning, we’ve been clear in our belief that we do not want a union between us as partners, and that conviction has not changed,” Williams said. “However, we have also said that we respect the legal process. This means we will bargain in good faith with the union that represents partners in the one Buffalo store that voted in favor of union representation.”

LaMourie said he has been interested in unionizing at other stores he’s worked at for years, but he felt the conditions were not right for such an effort until he entered the supportive environment of the East 29th and Willamette Starbucks.

“Our manager is awesome,” Fireside said. “And because of that, we have a bunch of really seasoned people at our stores. We don't have high turnover. It's not just a bunch of really young kids. We have people that have made a career out of Starbucks. We have three partners that have been there over 15 years.”

The baristas said the response from customers has been overwhelmingly positive. “It's been five to 10 people a day, from unions, just customers, regulars and people who've seen us in media, just like, ‘I'm so excited to see you doing this. Congratulations. Let me know if there's anything you need,’ which has been awesome,” LaMourie said.

Voyce said her history class has helped her learn more about the unionization process her Starbucks is undertaking.

“I've been getting involved behind the scenes of organizing and want to do more community outreach,” Voyce said. “So I find that it's something that I really care about, and something that really does help level the playing field between us, the workers and the real higher-ups — the corporate up there.”

Voyce said she thinks more people her age should be thinking about unionizing at their workplace, even if they are not in long-term careers yet.

Before the store can vote on joining the labor union Workers United, the employees will undergo a legal hearing on Jan. 28 at 9 a.m. They will hold a rally in support of their unionization on Jan. 27 at 11 a.m. at their store, located at 2830 Willamette Street in Eugene.

DUCKS DRESS TO IMPRESS

Just a casual stroll down East 13th Avenue through the center of the UO campus will expose you to the many walks of life that make up our student life. This strip of campus can seem like a runway, brimming with fashionable students who strut the streets and make a statement with their unique styles and trendy outfits. The Emerald profiled four students who embody what it means to bring style and flair to UO. Gaining inspiration from social media and expressing their identity through fashion, these students use their style as a way to show the world who they are.

TEVON PHOMPHAKDY: SWAGGER Freshman studying human physiology

A vintage outerwear jacket, simple tee, cargo pants and a flashy pair of Nike Dunks. This trendy and eye-catching streetwear vintage style is the true language of Tevon Phomphakdy. Thrifted items and hand-me-down pieces are the main ingredients in his look.

Emerald: When did you first become interested in fashion and more conscious of your style?

Phomphakdy: I think it would definitely have to be my junior year of high school, when COVID-19 first started off. I started going on TikTok a lot and got a lot of inspiration from there. I just wanted to have a better appearance since in middle school and the first part of high school I just wore shorts and a T-shirt — it was really bad.

E: How would you describe your fashion sense?

TP: I would describe my style as streetwear based, mainly vintage street style. I usually go thrifting, and I don’t try to go for pieces that are too expensive — I try to keep it low budget, but I still have some items that are up in price. Most of the time I wear Blazers, Dunks and Jordan 1s.

E: When buying new clothing and constructing outfits, where do you find inspiration for your style?

TP: Honestly, TikTok. I see all these other people wearing different style clothing, and I try to piece it together in my own head and see if I can replicate that, but in my own sense of style. Some styles won’t work on me like others — there’s a lot of trial and error.

E: What advice would you give to students who are trying to get into fashion?

TP: If you want to get into it, maybe first follow trends. That’s usually the easiest thing to do, and people will compliment you on it. Then as you go, you can implement your own style and what you want to do. That’s what I did going with vintage wear. My parents had a lot of vintage wear from the 80s, so I made that into my own style.

Tevon Phomphakdy says these jeans are actually two pairs of denim jeans with different washes sewn together. (Sammie Claire/Emerald)

Tevon Phomphakdy is a freshman at the University of Oregon studying human physiology. In this photo, he is wearing some Jordan 1s that he got at the Nike employee store in Beaverton for $80, whereas normal resale is about $500-600. (Sammie Claire/ Emerald)

Kennedy Hjelte's purple pants are her favorite pants. She got them from Zara and loves the crazy colorful vibe. She says they fit her personal style. Her green shirt is from Shein. (Sammie Claire/Emerald)

Kennedy Hjelte is a sophomore at the University of Oregon studying sociology. (Sammie Claire/ Emerald)

KENNEDY HJELTE: GLAMOROUS Sophomore studying sociology

Kennedy Hjelte is hard to miss. As someone heavily inspired by color and pop, she uses fashion as a way to make herself stand out from the crowd. Hjelte experienced a history of being restricted with her fashion choices, so college has allowed her to blossom into her own form.

Emerald: When did you first become interested in fashion and more conscious of your style?

Hjelte: I’ve been doing pageantry for a really long time, and I think within those organizations they tell you to dress a certain way, so I never had my own style. I also think going to a private Catholic high school also altered the way that I dress, so I’d say freshman year, a year ago.

E: How would you describe your fashion sense?

KH: I love color. I used to own a lot of black so I needed to get away from that. If I see a piece I’ll be like “that’s super cute,” and it doesn’t always have to match each other, but it does to me. I think it looks cute and unique, so that’s why I do it, to stand out.

E: When buying new clothing and constructing outfits, where do you find inspiration for your style?

KH: I follow a lot of models on Instagram, a lot of male models which is really interesting. There’s Ian Jeffrey — he’s really cool. He just doesn’t care what other people think.

E: What advice would you give to students who are trying to get into fashion?

KH: Honestly just to not care. I think that’s really hard because people are going to look at you especially if you’re wearing something out of your comfort zone. I just think not to care about what other people think and do what makes you happy.

UO students express their individuality through their self-curated fashion sense.

BY EVAN HUNTINGTON • TWITTER @EVANHUNTINGTON

Gabe Lopez wears a collection of jewelry to complement his outfit and add a sort of “grunge” vibe to his otherwise earthy color choices. (Sammie Claire/Emerald)

Gabe Lopez is a freshman studying business at the University of Oregon. (Sammie Claire/Emerald)

GABE LOPEZ: CONFIDENT Freshman studying business

A man who carries himself with confidence yet humbleness, Gabe Lopez has a natural flavor to his fashion sense, and it’s easy to see the pride he takes in his style. Lopez blends a vintage look with his skateinspired roots, curating a palette of subtle tones with an on-the-go look. He advises students to express their identity through fashion.

Emerald: When did you first become interested in fashion and more conscious of your style?

Lopez: For me it definitely would have started in high school but not really until sophomore year. I really got into it just from growing up in Portland and having so many thrift spots around. I really got to have a great time finding these amazing pieces from the past that just got me so interested in it.

E: How would you describe your fashion sense?

GL: I define my style as definitely a vintage style. I feel like whenever I’m wearing my clothes, usually I have a piece that’s at least 20 years old on. I’d say vintage and a mix of skate-wear, too. I grew up skating, so my first sense of style was a skate style, and that transitioned with vintage as well.

E: When buying new clothing and constructing outfits, where do you find inspiration for your style?

GL: I’ll wake up and pick my outfit depending on what mood I’m in. I always base my colors off of the mood I’m in, but I never do too many bright colors.

E: What advice would you give to students who are trying to get into fashion?

GL: Definitely wear stuff that makes you happy and use it as a way to express your emotions. It can always bring out the true you and the true person you are in the clothes that you’re wearing. Don’t try to copy someone else’s style because you think it’s cool — take inspiration but always do your own thing.

SYDNEY CHEN: REBORN Sophomore studying human physiology

College was a major turning point for Sydney Chen. After realizing her true fashion identity and the real potential she had to up her style, she completely reinvented herself and never looked back. Today, she draws inspiration from Japanese fashion culture and encourages others to express themselves openly.

Emerald: When did you first become interested in fashion and more conscious of your style?

Chen: Pretty much all of high school, all I wore was sweatpants and hoodies because I had a boyfriend who really didn’t want me dressing up. For all of high school I just convinced myself that I was like a tomboy who didn’t care, but once I got out of that and got into college, I started realizing that I was actually the complete opposite. I really like dressing super girly and cute.

E: How would you describe your fashion sense?

SC: I feel like it varies, but the one I’m in right now and like the most is very lightly inspired, cutesy, Japanese lolita. I wouldn’t say kawaii, but like girly lolita-ish.

E: When buying new clothing and constructing outfits, where do you find inspiration for your style?

SC: I definitely use Instagram a lot. It’s a platform where people usually go to post their outfits, so there’s a lot of stuff on there. I follow a lot of people and a lot of magazine accounts that post that type of stuff, so I usually scroll through my feed and save things and use it for when I’m shopping later.

E: What advice would you give to students who are trying to get into fashion?

SC: When I first switched from just PJ’s in high school to actually going all out in college, I felt so insecure. I felt like people were staring at me because I would try to be extra. But honestly, if it makes you happy, why does it matter? If people dress the way they feel and want to express and present themselves, you already know more about that person before you even say hello.

Sydney Chen is a sophomore at the University of Oregon studying human physiology! (Sammie Claire/Emerald)

The necklaces Sydney Chen is wearing in her photos were thrifted. (Sammie Claire/Emerald)