In Case You Haven't Heard …

Abstract

A growing number of Starbucks baristas are wearing a suicide awareness pin at work — an act of defiance and solidarity after a union leader in Buffalo, New York, said he was fired for wearing it, In These Times reported Oct. 25. Baristas at cafes in Oklahoma, Washington, Arizona, Vermont, Kansas, New Jersey and Tennessee have been wearing the pin, according to Starbucks Workers United (SBWU). The subtle protest comes as the coffee giant continues its relentless onslaught of union‐busting against SBWU, which has successfully unionized some 250 cafes since December 2021. Meanwhile, the union said workers have reported more than 120 “retaliatory firings.” In a news release, SBWU said it has filed more than “80 charges with the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of fired workers.” Will Westlake, a barista in Buffalo who said he was fired — from one of the first Starbucks stores to file for a union election — in 2021, began wearing the pin on his apron with fellow baristas to honor a co‐worker and fellow union supporter who had recently died by suicide. Made by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the pin reads: “You are not alone.” The group describes the pin as “a small gesture to show someone that you care.”