I’ll be writing a weekly labor piece for In These Times. Here’s the first one, on Starbucks’ “Let Them Eat Wristbands” approach to unemployment:
This month Starbucks launched its Create Jobs for USA initiative, the coffee chain’s official response to America’s unemployment crisis. In a press release, CEO Howard Schultz says the program gives customers the chance to “take meaningful action to help create and sustain American jobs.” “We hope this a galvanizing moment as Americans come together to be catalysts for change,” Schultz continues. The program will no doubt boost Starbucks’ image—and the density of red white and blue wristbands across America. But jobs? Not so much.
Josh Eidelson 