Newsweek ranks union buster Starbucks as tenth greenest company in America

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.examiner.com/x-2071-DC-Special-Interests-Examiner~y2009m9d21-Newsweek-ranks-union-buster-Starbucks-as-tenth-greenest-company-in-America?cid=exrss-DC-Special-Interests-Examiner

The recent call for a boycott of anti-unionWhole Foods in response to its CEO’s diatribe in the Wall Street Journal against providing health care coverage for the uninsured exposed a fissure in progressive thinking. If a company mistreats its workers can it still be fashionably progressive? Unfortunately the answer all too often is yes. If Whole Foods and Starbucks cater to elites, after all who else can afford such prices, and since elites by definition don’t work for a living what’s a little union busting between comrades?



So union buster, anti-Employee Free Choice Act Starbucks may enjoy another inoculation as it is listed number ten in Newsweek’s “Green Rankings”. In a release today Newsweek explained how it determined its rankings:

The Newsweek Green Rankings is the first-ever report based on companies' actual environmental footprint, policies and practices. The twelve-page report in the September 28 issue, (on newsstands September 21), features a green ranking of America's 500 largest publicly-traded companies as measured by revenue, market capitalization and number of employees. On Newsweek.com, users can search and sort the data in several ways, analyze the detailed methodology of the study and submit and review comments.

"This is the first time a media organization has ranked companies in this way," said Kathleen Deveny, Global Business Editor of Newsweek. "Most green lists are anecdotal -- ours is the result of a massive database research project conducted in collaboration with three of the leading players in environmental research: KLD, Trucost and Corporate Register."

FULL story at link.

[stray cat]

1. I buy lattes from Starbucks and work for a living - I'm so elite I can't afford a house

Starbucks actually gives health care to part time workers and tuition reimbursement and practices green activities- really evil things.... How is GM with unions completely progressive either - building huge gas guzzling cars? Few companies are simplistically progressive and still functioning.

[Omaha Steve]

2. Lowly Walmart insures more of it's workers than Starbucks does

And Starbucks cut it's 401 K contribution while buying another corporate jet. Starbucks just doubled it's cost for health care. Getting the idea yet?

[cbdo2007]

3. I'm not sure why they are confusing their union stance and progressiveness with them being green.

It specifically mentions their green rating comes from measuring their actual environment footprint.

While some people may not see the company as "progressive" and though they may be anti-union, these are completely separate measurements from whether or not they are "green".

[Omaha Steve]

7. It is Starbucks claim to be a BLUE company that irks labor

Several labor cases where the administrative law judge has found against Starbucks over the last few years. The NY ruling is due out soon.

No matter how green, I won't buy from them or their brand in stores.

[Selatius]

4. I find it insanely annoying that Starbucks builds multiple joints so close together.

Their favorite tactic is to saturate an area with Starbucks joints. This tactic actually results in the company cannibalizing its own market share, but they calculate that by saturating an area full of its stores, it leaves very little room for competitors to enter the market.

[Stevenmarc]

5. Elite is not having to fly commercial not a Cinnamon Dolce Frappuccino

[Cha]

6. Right..so I guess

I'm out for life.

[DCKit]

8. Soy-Latte-Green is made of PEOPLE. n/t