I take a lot of pride in being able to go back to school at ASU, and I’m very thankful that my job at Starbucks provides me with this opportunity. My studies at ASU have made me more mindful of the media I consume and have taught me how to do better research.

However, I do not just work at Starbucks. My store recently unionized, and I was lucky enough to be selected as its union representative. This week, I will be involved in my first bargaining session as a delegate! It’s been a challenge adding this new workload on top of already working and going to school full-time, but I’m very excited to work with all the other delegates and fight for my partners! 

In the process of unionizing, I noticed a lot of misinformation about unions from my partners and people who don’t even work at Starbucks. Unions play an essential role in the workplace. Aspects of media literacy also pertain to our daily lives. It’s important to be able to identify misinformation in the media and spread by word of mouth. Either way, misinformation should be faced with proper research. 

Misinformation about unions is incredibly dangerous. Workers have the right to choose whether to unionize or not, and feeding them with misinformation can deprive them of the benefits they would gain. I have coworkers who are afraid they’re not going to get paid, either from union dues or because they think Starbucks would outright withhold their paycheck. 

Media literacy is an important skill. Witnessing a workplace unionize has shown me how being media illiterate affects people in their daily lives.

Misinformation

When Starbucks stores first began to unionize, Starbucks committed numerous NLRA violations. These actions resulted in employees being fired, disciplined, and even withholding pay. With the help of the media, these violations became wild accusations on social media. I heard partners tell me that they didn’t want to unionize because we would stop getting paid. And although this is technically true, it’s been blown out of proportion. This misinformation is harmful to workers. I hear my coworkers complain constantly about our working conditions and pay. It upsets me to know that they are falling victim to misinformation that is deterring them from the union when it will fight for them and their wants and needs. We need to put an end to the spread of misinformation. If you read something online or a friend tells you something and you think, “Wow! That’s crazy!” take a second and do a simple search to double-check if that information is true.

Research

Unionizing takes work. Union busting is a challenge that all organizing workers face, regardless of their employer; this is not something that is unique to working at Starbucks. But the question stands: how do you organize workers without being blatantly obvious and putting your job in danger? How do you communicate effectively to a large group without it becoming workplace gossip? It’s hard to find information about what the union will do for workers, especially with Starbucks Workers United. Since this union is new and there hasn’t been a contract, there is little information online. No facts are being shared; they are simply goals they want to achieve. People lack media literacy skills concerning research. Even outside the union, we’ve all been asked questions that could have easily been googled. But it’s important to have this skill. People don’t do their own research to see if a union is something they want but then proceed to ask someone who feeds them with misinformation. It’s a dangerous cycle, both online and in person, and at or outside work.

Media literacy is an important asset that can impact our daily lives. Being able to identify misinformation or to do proper research can negatively affect us, as I’ve shown with unions. In today’s world, it’s important that we have a voice and fight for our rights, and learning how to be media literate is the first step!

Disclaimer: I am not speaking on behalf of SBWU nor am I promoting unions.