In Essence Counselling

11/15/2025

Yes.

11/14/2025

11/14/2025

Starbucks has been stonewalling its workers for years. The time for bad faith is over.

Since the first stores voted to unionize in December 2021, Starbucks has dodged every serious attempt at bargaining. Over the last four years, the company has refused to even meet with the union representing more than 12,000 employees nationwide.

Instead of sitting down at the table, management has shut down 400 stores, including 59 that voted to unionize — a calculated move to punish workers for organizing.

Now, with the holidays approaching, Starbucks Workers United has had enough. On November 13 — Red Cup Day — Starbucks workers have gone on strike to demand real negotiations and respect on the job.

The time for excuses is over.

I urge you to show solidarity with these workers by sending a message to Starbucks CEO, Brian Niccol: Sit down with the union. Negotiate in good faith. Stop stonewalling your workers now! Sign the petition here: https://bit.ly/4oAVdUL

Starbucks built its brand on being progressive and people-centered. But behind the PR, it’s showing open contempt for the workers who made it successful. The company’s CEO raked in $96 million in his first year, while workers continue to face short staffing, unpredictable schedules, low pay, and rising health care costs.

Here’s how you can stand with them:

1) Delete the Starbucks app from your phone.

2) Don’t buy from Starbucks for the duration of the strike.

3) Send a message to CEO Brian Niccol to tell him to stop stalling and start negotiating.

Starbucks can’t claim to be an ethical, socially conscious company while refusing to even meet with its own workers. Every day of silence is another day of bad faith.

Tell the Starbucks CEO you are deleting your Starbucks app and will not cross the picket line until he negotiates in good faith with Starbucks Workers United!

Thank you for standing with the workers who need our support!

Once again, you can sign the petition here: https://bit.ly/4oAVdUL

11/10/2025

“Ten years ago I met a professional flower girl. She was 24-years old. She was going through a tough time, so my husband and I tried to help her. We let her use this space. We laid out all the money: transportation, allowance, everything. I worked alongside her in the shop. But the flower girl, she always party. She took the $3,000 I gave her and disappeared. It’s OK. She was young, whatever. We were going to close the shop, but my husband said: ‘You are always happy when you are here, why don’t you run it yourself?’ So that’s what I did. I used to be a fashion designer, so I’m very good with color. I know composition naturally. And also-- everything I touch, it grows. People think it’s a miracle. It’s not a miracle. It’s just a matter of caring. When your customer authorizes you to do something, do the best you can offer. People are not dumb. They can see how much thought and time you put into your work. They can tell if you are like crocodile, doing as little as possible, trying to eat all the money you can. Look at all the shops up and down the street—you can see who puts their heart into it. Look at the plants in front of the store. If the plants are dying, the business is dying. It’s a matter of caring. You must care for everything around you. First, I take care of myself. That is most important. I’m seventy-one. If my muscles feel pain, I stop. I’ll do my stretching. Then I care for my husband. He’s a very good partner. Two years ago he had a stroke; he has some minor health things still. So I care for him. We adopted two little kitties. We make them delicious food like human food: turkey, chicken, fish. They grow very big. We take good care of them. Then we care for our friends, our customers, even our customer’s dogs. If you treat your customers’ dogs well, they will smell you and remember you. Everything is together: plants, animals, humans. If you care, you will grow. But not enough people care. It's not that they aren’t smart. It’s that they want to try everything, so they never care enough about any one thing. Too many choices. Me? This is my only choice. Come by anytime, I’m around.”

11/07/2025

So grateful to these two and so many others who have led the way in the last two years:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQrKlkUCMV0/?igsh=cmI4ZTZoZXV4MjZh

11/05/2025

Always remember this: We outnumber the oligarchs.

Kudos to Zohran Kwame Mamdani on his remarkable victory tonight!

11/04/2025

For parents of boys:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQm53A-kQbB/?igsh=MjI1eDRmb2IxZWF5