Labor Day 2012

This is the letter that starts it all! Peet's Workers Group's formal request for a living wage and other workplace dignity essentials was delivered today to district management, HR, and our CEO.

See next post for a readable version!

"Peet's' failure to pay a living wage to the majority of its employees directly undermines its stated vision and mission to 'inspire our people.'"


Peet's Coffee & Tea is slated to return to private ownership this fall in a stock buy-out of nearly $1,000,000,000.

Last year our CEO's total compensation was more than $1,600,000.

Most of our store's retail employees are hired at a starting wage of $8.50/hour, 25 cents above the Illinois minimum wage. Yearly raises for high-performing employees average 25 cents/hour, barely a cost-of-living increase.

How does a company with Peet's' values not pay its 3000+ retail employees a living wage?