Labor Protests outside S. Philly Dunkin Donuts

Submitted by jnachod t3_11dabu9 in philadelphia

For the past several months, 3-4 individuals have been quietly protesting outside the Broad & Christian Dunkin on Mondays through Fridays from the early morning until the mid-afternoon hours. There's no inflatable rat, just a few signs like "Do not buy here" and "Boycott Dunkin Donuts" and things like that. They're upset that recent renovations to the store were performed using some amount of non-union labor and that this "depresses wage standards in the area" etc. etc.

They're very good about not being disruptive and not standing directly on the business property itself, but they surely are foregoing income they could be earning by being at a different job site during business hours.

Just was wondering - how long is this activity likely to continue before the protesters "get bored" and choose a different location to hand out literature and protest at? I mean, the renovations at this store are completely done and it's kind of hard to "undo" them and "redo" them using union labor, and these protestors are NOT upset about construction activity at other Dunkin stores in the area as far as I know.

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taskermorrisrider222 t1_ja7p9a1 wrote

Imagine living in South Philly, and the coffee you decide to get is Dunkin Donuts. Gross.

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Toidal t1_ja7v6kc wrote

It's got a parking lot, at the end of the day that's a big seller. The cute little boutique coffee shops that make and sell excellent coffee are usually tucked away.

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taskermorrisrider222 t1_ja7zwzg wrote

Once I realized only big corporations could afford parking lots, I became bitter and radicalized on walkable cities.

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thecw t1_ja86yjh wrote

Nobody can park there, it's always full.

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TheSwain t1_ja8alz4 wrote

Lived a few doors down from it on Annin for a few years, watched that Dunkin lot go from The Taxi Driver Waiting Area ™ to the Uber Driver Waiting Area ™ over the years because they let anyone use their restroom.

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PhillyPanda t1_ja8c0ej wrote

Nobody else is going to give me a medium iced coffee for $1 every Tuesday

Also the workers at both of my primary Dunkin’ Donuts are the best, most friendly people

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beancounter2885 t1_ja85ynw wrote

Ugh, it's like how the Fishtown neighborhood page was so excited that a Starbucks was moving in. There are a bunch of great, local places all over, but when that Starbucks opened, the drive-thru line was constantly out of the parking lot and onto Aramingo.

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Swuit t1_ja8h2tc wrote

To be fair 90% of those coffee shops in fishtown close at 3-4pm

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Show-me-the-banana t1_ja9wkrj wrote

And don’t open until 8am.

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Swuit t1_ja9yqzn wrote

Yeah that’s the other problem. I’m up before they are open so I go to what’s open and I’m home after they close. On weekends I’ll go to a coffee shop but that again depends on if they are open.

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Swuit t1_jaac2i8 wrote

u/No-Relative6661

I don’t see your comment of “here’s an idea make your own coffee, or is that not in your wheel house”

It is. I actually do make my own coffee. French press, Chemex or a mocha master. I do enjoy coffee but sometimes I’m just not home. I was just responding to the comment of why are people excited about a Starbucks. Just have my answer of its open and reliable. But to each there own sorry if you got hate for commenting.

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thecw t1_ja87461 wrote

Still like that every morning. Then they drive across the street to sit in the CVS drive thru. Maybe hit the Wendy's too. Fishtown loves a drive thru.

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ForkBombGoBoom t1_ja9q7eh wrote

I will say a few points in favor of Starbucks. It's open before I start work and after I end it, while no other non-corporate coffeeshop seems willing to do either. They are never out of anything at 9am. They don't randomly close. They have bathrooms. They are fast. Their coffee is waaaay better than Dunkin and sometimes better than the boutique coffee shops too. They will fund employees' college educations.

This sounds very hail corporate, but Starbucks has always been pretty good imo.

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uptown_gargoyle t1_ja7ti4v wrote

my roommate is like that. she'll get a coffee somewhere and i'll ask how it is and the answer is always "it's fine, coffee is coffee." meanwhile i'm grinding my own locally roasted beans every morning because the extra time and money is absolutely worth it for a good cup of coffee every morning

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65BlT t1_ja83n3o wrote

Tbh I'm the same way 😅 I think my tastebuds aren't refined enough because to me most coffee tastes exactly the same. Unless it's like, SUPER watered down or burnt I just can't notice a difference lol

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nnp1989 t1_ja81hcp wrote

This is me as well - I'm a total philistine when it comes to coffee, as long as it's not instant. As long as it's hot and black, I'm happy with it.

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NotJoeyWheeler t1_ja8boe8 wrote

I buy fancy beans and grind them at home and use a pour over and time myself and I still absolutely love a standard hot coffee from dunkin lol

coffee can be really special but decent coffee is still great to me

like I’ve had bad drinks from fancy cafes that are so much worse than a McDonald’s or dunkin cup

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PhillyPanda t1_ja8ch57 wrote

So many people just dump a shit ton of cream/milk/sugar in it anyway

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Vexithan t1_ja87ojd wrote

I’m spoiled and live right near Bean2Bean. Free delivery to my neighborhood within a few hours of ordering most days. So damn good and so worth the extra few minutes in the morning to boil water and press the button to grind beans on my burr grinder.

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kilometr t1_ja8s2i3 wrote

For me it’s usually the time. Local coffee shops tend to open later.

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mbz321 t1_ja7zjap wrote

Or what they pass off as 'Donuts'. Even day-old donuts from ShopRite are 10x better.

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shark_skin_suit t1_ja94449 wrote

I go to Dunkin so I can stay true to my roots.

There's shit all over the floor, receipts crumpled up at the register, the prep area to put sugar in your coffee is both tiny and fucking disgusting. There's a lounge area where the chairs are broken and the donuts are stale as fuck. Anyway: "One espresso please": sometimes you get 1.5 oz, sometimes you get 12 oz of some toxic chemical sludge.

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mburn14 t1_ja98vw8 wrote

Dang the school being right there makes it a hotspot for the kids. I buy there when I’m in a rush (or hungover) now because of the nice new renovation. Unfortunately I may have to reassess.

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lanternfly_carcass t1_jacx9gf wrote

Their cold brew is better than Ultimos

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jnachod OP t1_jadmwum wrote

The plain cold brew at Dunkin - with no additives or sweeteners or foams of any kind - is actually decent in my opinion and only slightly worse than what you’d get at Reanimator or Green Street. But the fancy concoctions they’ve gradually been inventing in recent years (e.g. the Charli cold foam ) can be excessively sweet to the point of being disgusting.

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Waru_ t1_ja9v68v wrote

Send those heathens to Boston

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Firm_Airport2816 t1_ja7toqv wrote

When one of those smaller places makes a caramel iced latte as good as dunkin does, then I'll go there. Plus according to your name, you know that my local dunkin is an experience all in its own! (10th and Reed)

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martymoran t1_ja7isz3 wrote

doesnt the union pay them to be there?

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ActionJawnson t1_ja7lape wrote

As someone who has been in union picket lines, I was never paid to be there. It may vary by unions.

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RustyShackleford454 t1_ja7wi5v wrote

Can't speak for all unions but for my union, they don't pay you, but you do get things like entries into raffles for things like tvs, power tools and such. A lot of these guys that do the pickets are retirees or apprentices. I've done a couple, they can be pretty boring.

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njstein t1_ja7xby9 wrote

Every picket needs a solid grill master for motivation.

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deep_blue003v t1_ja89vmk wrote

No, we do not get paid for picket duty. Years ago our members were asked to picket certain jobsites if we were out of work. Now instead of doing that every member is required to picket twice a year regardless of whether we are working or not. It's better that way. There were years where I spent 4-6 weeks out of the year picketing various jobsites and some members didn't picket at all. Now it's just a few days and every member shares picket duty equally.

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44moon t1_ja7vq1l wrote

no, but if you're in the union and laid off sometimes the union will ask you to do picket duty

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martinojen t1_ja884i2 wrote

They send the retirees and apprentices sometimes too. The retirees enjoy it and have something to do…. Poor apprentices lol! I feel like they may throw in lunch as well.

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kjm16216 t1_ja8vgpw wrote

Or at least breakfast, after all Dunkin is right there.

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jnachod OP t1_ja7j0gt wrote

I suppose that’s possible but I’m not sure

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[deleted] t1_ja86zgc wrote

[removed]

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martymoran t1_ja8a1ys wrote

seems like its a common misconception

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PM_me_ab_ur_landlord t1_ja8c1br wrote

Seems like people are really seriously misinformed about unions then. Actually useful information

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martymoran t1_ja8c6nv wrote

so its not an asinine comment, gotcha

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PM_me_ab_ur_landlord t1_ja8cdbi wrote

I mean it borders on agenda pushing so I wonder how many people actually believe it versus want to believe it.

“Paid protesters” is a right-wing trope used against popular causes.

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Rdw72777 t1_ja7kjoz wrote

If they are from a union then they are paid. Of course if the work truly is complete then a union would usually move in to another location to protest. Maybe there’s a larger point to be made against the owner of this location that doesn’t make sense to us outsiders.

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jengibredia t1_ja7s5qi wrote

Thanks for letting me know, I won't go to Dunkin anymore. It's about spreading awareness. I will always fiercely support the working class and Dunkin pays barely above minimum wage, there's tons of reasons on top of what those protesters are saying to boycott Dunkin, and now I won't spend money there now that I've been given another. I guarantee those protesters have driven away hundreds in sales. We have very little power against the corporate fascists who run our country, and sustained protest is one of the only ways we still do.

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44moon t1_ja7vvmb wrote

unfortunately for your karma everyone in this sub has gone republican for the month because crime is up a bit

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MalixMedia t1_ja80d5h wrote

Dunkin’ Donuts is garbage. Imagine living in south philly and going to Dunkin’ fucking donuts

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IrishWave t1_ja8iw67 wrote

Except aren't most Dunkin's franchises? Meaning it's basically a small owner bearing the costs of the work...not "corporate fascists".

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Fly__Eagles__Fly t1_ja99qx5 wrote

I remember being at a trade show in NYC about a decade ago. It was the last day and union guys were breaking down all the displays so we could pack them up and leave. We had some vessels with water in them for the show and needed to dump them out. After waiting for over an hour I walked over to a drain, dumped it out and left. I was told by one of the workers that we would be hearing from their union over it.

I'm all for supporting strong wages but I'm not trying to get back home at midnight so these knuckleheads can slowly work through everything.

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CT_Real t1_ja9mzo4 wrote

Good point, only union workers work slow.

Every McDonalds in the city must be unionized I guess.

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kilometr t1_ja7zsbr wrote

They have been protesting a non-union construction site by where I work for over a year it seems. Every day there are at least two union members hanging out making sure a generator filling an inflatable rat has enough gas in it. Although an apartment building is a much bigger job than a dunkin renovation. They aren’t there handing out any literature and usually sit in their trucks parked on the sidewalk idling.

They seem to be doing a better job at your site. I’ve felt bad for the people who live across the street who have to deal with all the noise and air pollution caused by their rat.

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Joey_Brakishwater t1_ja8rtmp wrote

I never understood why they bring out the scab rat when they lose an open shop project. I would never cross a picket line but like bro your bid lost, that's not strike breaking. You won't win every project, it's an inescapable reality of the construction industry.

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kilometr t1_ja8sxbn wrote

I know they tend to go to construction sites that hired non-union labor from the onset. I wouldn’t call it scab labor (although they may) since it wasn’t like they were hired originally then replaced.

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Joey_Brakishwater t1_ja97inn wrote

Yep, that's exactly what they do. Like you, I also don't consider it scab labor. I think they just believe there shouldn't be any open shop projects in the city.

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FasterThanTW t1_jaavzxh wrote

>I never understood why

because the trade unions' business model is getting as close to the legal edge of extortion and coercion as they possibly can rather than competing in an open market.

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JMCatron t1_ja84dyt wrote

I think I've heard of them before- but for another issue. If I recall correctly, they represent a carpenter's union (which, I don't know) and regularly protest buildings or organizations that either violated some union contract, or hired scab labor or something.

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topic_discusser t1_ja902p3 wrote

Obviously they aren’t going to redo the renovations, but the point is to lower business and make the people who did the renovations (and others) notice - and encourage others in the future not to do the same.

It’s like anyone who protests something that’s already happened, like a unjust death. Protesting clearly isn’t going to bring them back, but the intent is to make sure it doesn’t happen again (or happens less at least)

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Waru_ t1_ja9v900 wrote

Also I feel bad for the innocent insurance office in there

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JesusOfBeer t1_ja84x5j wrote

Wtf, there’s a Dunkin basically across the street… can’t wait for one of them to go out or business and some deranged lunatic blame the closure on crime when the reality is it’s bad business practices and a terrible coffee product with serviceable, average donuts

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b-man091 t1_ja87f8t wrote

They used to have a rat. Must’ve moved on to more pressing matters.

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mundotaku t1_ja8vt8j wrote

I mean, I don't go to Dunkin Donuts because their donuts taste like shit.

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HistoricalSubject t1_ja9am49 wrote

they taste like cardboard. same with the bagels. im like 99% sure their bagels are MADE OUT OF their own recycled cardboard boxes to help save on food costs. also improves shelf stability. and when you're charging $2 for that and 16oz of liquid diabetes to help wash it down, whose really gonna even notice?

"America runs on dunkin" i hate this slogan. its disappointing. i always think "umm....can we please NOT though?" whether it is because we are in such a soul less state that all real food is disappearing and becoming processed food products and we dont even notice it, or because we are so overworked and underpaid that its all we can afford, it is WRONG that America runs on Dunkin and we NEED to change the root causes of this.

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FasterThanTW t1_jaawga3 wrote

this isn't that hot of a take. noone goes to dunkin for donuts. it hasn't even been in their branding for several years now.

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TheMightyBeebus t1_ja9eum2 wrote

Meanwhile, the cashier at Dunkin is saying "Depressed wages? I'll show you depressed wages, no paid vacation, no insurance, and getting in trouble for not working my day off!"

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Waru_ t1_ja9v4ym wrote

I live around the corner and saw this this morning while pumping gas. They were still busy af so it was kinda funny

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uptown_gargoyle t1_ja7tvzv wrote

these guys and the fbi dog shooting protesters should get together and share notes

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[deleted] t1_ja7h9kj wrote

[deleted]

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ItsjustJim621 t1_ja7jffo wrote

Not sure why the downvotes but you’re right. Businesses should use whatever labor they want…isn’t that capitalism and a free market?

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NBACrkvice t1_ja7v3nj wrote

Welcome to liberal America.

The only people who want socialism are the ones who've never experienced it.

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ItsjustJim621 t1_ja80hdo wrote

I mean, we have elements of socialism already in place in our society….roads, parks, schools, fire and police departments, libraries…..all of those are funded with our tax dollars and are available for everyone to use regardless of how little or much a person uses them….

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