Union drives work best when they get a substantial amount of community support. That means Starbucks customers, random people on the street, your friends and family, your co-workers, local community groups, and (most importantly) YOU.

There are only a few realistic things people can do when their work situation is crummy. They can (1) quit and find something better, (2a) stay and deal with the crumminess, (2b) stay and make a scene, thereby risking getting fired for flipping out, (2c) stay and have a heart-to-heart with the boss, or (2d) stay and organize.

Number 1 and 2a are what most people do. And that is why shitty jobs remain shitty. If they are always revolving doors and if workers are always too complacent or afraid to do something, then wages will always be low and conditions will always be ripe for exploitation.

If you stay and act out your grievances in front of your boss (like that scene in Office Space where Jennifer Aniston's character flips off her boss for complaining about her lack of "flair"), then you're gonna get fired (and that's pretty much the same as quitting). And if you just have a one-on-one with the boss, that might help YOU, but it won't necessarily help anyone else - in fact, this is what ALL bosses want you to do: just go to them if you have any problems. DO NOT talk about your grievances to your co-workers, because, hey, you're competing against them, remember? This is the boss's strategy to pit us against each other while ingratiating ourselves like little dogs to the boss.

If you're gonna try improving your lot, you'll have much better luck in the long run if you acknowledge that you and your co-workers are in the same boat, and it's much better to fight together. The concept behind the phrase "An injury to one is an injury to all" is a really powerful and life-changing concept when applied by people who organize together.

Ultimately, there's only so much intellectual debate one can engage in about this - this isn't an abstract intellectual issue, it's about real people with real lives. So, please, folks, if you care at all, make the effort. Go visit that Starbucks, say that you support the union, and spread the word!