![\"Starbucks](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/KNON-radio.jpg\")
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The hosts and guests of the Dec. 20 episode of ‘Workers Beat’ at KNON studio in Dallas. Left to right: Jeanelle the striker, co-hosts Bonnie and Gene, Nyena the striker, and Pierre the KNON program producer. | Photo courtesy of Gene Lantz<\/p>\n
Almost everything you watch, hear, or read comes from the bosses, or was approved by them. Their outlook gets expressed everywhere all the time. The outlook and opinions of workers get almost no expression, but the \u201cWorkers Beat<\/a>\u201d program Saturday mornings on KNON radio in Dallas tries to be the exception.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been hosting the program since 2006, and we\u2019ve had a lot of guests on the air over the years, but two recent ones\u2014Jeanelle and Nyena, a couple of Starbucks workers\u2014were a real delight. They were on the Dec. 20 episode.<\/p>\n Neither of them had ever talked to thousands of people live over the airwaves, but they were game to come talk to our audience, determined to let folks know all about the ongoing Starbucks strike and boycott. They shared all the information about that but also a lot more.<\/p>\n As of this past weekend, Jeanelle and Nyena said they were on their 38th day of strike. They would like to continue until Starbucks management comes back into negotiations and finishes the contract they started bargaining over some time ago. The two said they were \u201cproud to live in an area with a high concentration of organized stores and young people on strike.\u201d<\/p>\n Starbucks employees, they said, have often had to work more than one job. The company has been highly profitable and pays its CEO, Brian Niccol, staggering amounts of money. Jeanelle said that he is \u201cproperly ashamed of himself\u201d and has been seen, on a video, running away<\/a> from a talk with a striker!<\/p>\n The union strategy, like any battle plan, is not completely public. Only those who have signed up at NoContractNoCoffee.org<\/a> know the times and places for every event. Activities include pickets at stores, visits to other unions and organizations, fundraising, solidarity with other unions and progressive groups, and\u2014as of this weekend\u2014reaching out on community radio.<\/p>\n The combination of strike and boycott is a sure-fire winner, and could be employed in many other organizing drives and contract negotiations.<\/p>\n Several callers expressed their solidarity. One of them asked how he could contribute. The strikers supplemented their strike pay with a bake sale two days earlier. My radio co-host Bonnie was one of the people who attended, and she said it \u201cwas a smash hit.\u201d<\/p>\n Bonnie went on to clarify the conditions of a boycott. She said that \u201canybody who buys or drinks Starbucks coffee at any shop, whether there is a picket there or not, is guilty of crossing a union picket line.\u201d<\/p>\n She said, \u201cIf everybody is together, that will make this struggle short and successful!\u201d<\/p>\n Neither of our two strikers, Jeanelle and Nyena, had ever been on strike before this. Nor had they ever been a member of a union at their previous workplaces. \u201cThe personal effects are far-reaching,\u201d they agreed.<\/p>\n \u201cEmployed workers may not realize how it feels to stand outside their own workplace and not be welcome inside,\u201d one of them said. When standing with a picket sign in their cold fingers, they wonder what every Starbucks customer, or even people in passing cars, think of them.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a thrill when an automobile honks in support. It feels wonderful when somebody goes by with a smile and a thumbs-up. Even the unwanted one-finger salutes aren\u2019t so bad. \u201cAt least people are noticing!\u201d<\/p>\n The best feeling, the strikers said, \u201cis when supporters show up.\u201d The Dallas labor movement has both youth and retiree constituencies that are all-out for working class victory. The local Communist Party club is also present at almost every event.<\/p>\n We didn\u2019t just talk Saturday morning on KNON radio. The strikers led Bonnie and me in beaming out loud picket line chants like \u201cNo contract, no coffee!\u201d Pierre, the KNON program producer, even joined in.<\/p>\n You can hear our recorded conversation on knon.org any time from now until Jan. 3.<\/p>\n As with all op-eds published by People\u2019s World, the views reflected here are those of the author.<\/p>\n We hope you appreciated this article. At\u00a0People\u2019s World, we believe news and information should be free and accessible to all, but we need your help. Our journalism is free of corporate influence and paywalls because we are totally reader-supported. Only you, our readers and supporters, make this possible. If you enjoy reading\u00a0People\u2019s World\u00a0and the stories we bring you, please\u00a0support our work by donating or becoming a monthly sustainer today<\/a>. Thank you!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCONTRIBUTOR<\/p>\n\n
![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GeneLantz-1-200x200.jpg\")
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