travel – jamaicamocha

April 17, 2025

Starbucks imposes stricter dress code under green apron

AP News – Starbucks is imposing new limits on what its baristas can wear under their green aprons.

Starting May 12, employees will be required to wear a solid black shirt and khaki, black or blue denim bottoms. Shirts can be short- or long-sleeved and collared or collarless, the company said in a memo released Monday. Starbucks will give each employee two free T-shirts.

Starbucks said the new dress code will make its green aprons stand out and create a sense of familiarity for customers. It comes as the company is trying to reestablish a warmer, more welcoming experience in its store.

“By updating our dress code, we can deliver a more consistent coffeehouse experience that will also bring simpler and clearer guidance to our partners, which means they can focus on what matters most, crafting great beverages and fostering connections with customers,” the company said in a post on its website.

But some workers protested the move. Starbucks Workers United, a labor group that has unionized workers at more than 550 of Starbucks’ 10,000 company-owned U.S. stores, said it told the company last week that it has already negotiated a tentative dress code agreement during bargaining sessions with the company. The union said it opposes any changes to the dress code until bargaining concludes and a labor agreement is reached.

Jasmine Leli, a Starbucks barista and union bargaining delegate, said the company should be focusing on things that improve store operations, like appropriately staffing stores and giving workers a guaranteed number of hours.

“Instead of addressing the most pressing issues baristas have been raising for years, Starbucks is prioritizing a limiting dress code that won’t improve the company’s operation,” Leli said in a statement provided by the union. “They’re forcing baristas to pay for new clothes when we’re struggling as it is on Starbucks wages and without guaranteed hours.”

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October 7, 2024

Port Strike Brewing Coffee Crisis

NEW YORK, Oct 1 (Reuters) – The unloading of hundreds of containers with imported coffee beans at the United States’ East Coast ports has stopped due to the strike of portworkers, aggravating the tight supply in the largest coffee-drinking nation.

The delays in delivery of imported coffee to U.S. roasters and coffee chains could further increase bean prices which hit multi-year highs last week due to limited supply, and raise costs for companies and consumers.

ship loading at Santos port in Sao Paulo, Brazil, seen from above

Prices for coffee held in U.S. warehouses are already rising due to the delays, said one coffee trader with containers stuck in ports.

“We have some 40 containers waiting to be moved,” said the head trader of one of the largest coffee importers in the U.S., which supplies roasters and cafeterias nationwide.

“The owners of the containers already told us they will charge additional fees if the boxes take longer than normal to be returned,” he added, asking not to be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the issue.

A portworkers strike entered its second day on Wednesday, halting the movement of containers through ports from Maine to Texas, affecting shipments of hundreds of products including food.

Some coffee sellers have stopped offering spot deals as they wait to see how the strike develops, said a second trader.

U.S. coffee stocks are at a low historical level, the traders said, since importers have been avoiding high inventories to reduce storage costs during a period of high interest rates. That situation makes the port problems worse.

“Some regions (in the U.S.) might have a supply squeeze,” said the first trader.

Industry participants believe, however, that the labor issue could be quickly solved because the magnitude of the problem demands attention.

“We source coffee from 35 different countries. If this (strike) goes on for a long time, everybody will be impacted,” said Will Ford, president of operations at Arkansas-based Westrock Coffee Company (WEST.O).

July 19, 2024

Jamaica coffee prices sea-saw amid Beryl

Jamaica’s coffee sector, a vital part of the island’s agricultural economy, narrowly escaped disaster as Hurricane Beryl swept through the region. The US$30 million crop, crucial to over 6,000 farmers was spared significant damage.

On the ground, farmers are counting their blessings rather than their losses. All the coffee on the mountain was green. Its most delicate stage. Not yet orange and not yet red. Jamaica got hit from Beryl on July 3. It sliced the island from below and in that motion largely missed the Blue Mountains.

“We dodged a bullet,” said one farmer, reflecting the widespread relief felt throughout the coffee-growing communities. The narrow escape means that the anticipated harvest can proceed with minimal disruption, ensuring that the coffee, renowned globally for its quality, reaches the market without the expected setbacks.

Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee prices jack up rates from July 1. That said regardless of price movements, Jamaica coffee is affordable for those who cannot afford to have bag coffee.

In January, the coffee industry faced a J$500 million loss as torrential rains hammered the beans to the ground. With no one brave enough to pick during the showers, the coffee molded and decayed rapidly. That’s a loss of US$3.5 million which doesn’t sound like much until one realizes it accounts for 10 per cent of the annual sales. It highlights the sector’s vulnerability.

While the immediate crisis has been averted, the experience serves as a reminder of the sector’s fragility. Moving forward, stakeholders emphasize the need for continued investment in infrastructure to safeguard Jamaica’s coffee industry against future threats.

In the meantime, the coffee community is looking forward to a successful harvest season, grateful that Hurricane Beryl passed without harm. The threat of more storms continues as the Hurricane season ends November 30. Beryl emerged as one of the most ferocious storms on record.