Yesterday outside the Starbucks in West Sacramento just off the Reed Ave. exit on I-80 there were people handing out fliers asking people to BOYCOTT STARBUCKS.  Of course having a curious nature I took one of the filers because I certainly didn’t want to find out I passed up a warning about bad beans or contaminated coffee.  Heaven knows there’s enough bad stuff out there that any warning to help avoid possible death by coffee would be appreciated.

Much to my surprise the warning had nothing to do with the coffee or its quality.  It was a request by Carpenters Local #46 not to patronize Starbucks because they used a construction contractor that doesn’t pay the standard wages or benefits established in this area for carpenters.

I’m not really in the construction business or the coffee business, but it seems to me that if a business gets a bid from a contractor to build something, say a coffee house, they just choose the best bid they can and the contractor is responsible for hiring his own workers.  I may be missing the point, but I think their problem is with the contractor for not hiring union workers, and not with Starbucks for getting the best bid possible for the work they needed.  I understand that carpenters need to make a living, but I think they have the wrong target.  I guess it is easier to go after the best name recognition and the deepest pockets rather than that rascal contractor who gave some people a job that hadn’t paid their dues (union dues that is). 

Should we really boycott Starbucks?