Demetrus traveled from Seattle to Pennsylvania to stand with baristas at a busy Starbucks distribution hub in East Manchester Township while they disrupted deliveries for hours.

“I’m from Seattle, Washington,” he said,  “I’ve been at the Starbucks protests for a while, but now, you’re mistreating the workers, and now, I’m on the streets with the Starbucks workers.”

As a security officer, Demetrus knows what it means to protect and stand up for people – and that mentality extends to Starbucks workers fighting exploitation and an employer that refuses to listen.Security officers across the country have been fighting, and winning, some of the strongest contracts in the industry this year. They’re pushing wages up, winning better benefits, and forcing the industry to recognize the essential work they do. Those victories raise standards for everyone; showing up for other workers is part of how those gains extend outward.Speaking from experience, Demetrus said, “The hope is they unionize stores and everyone stands up for what they believe in, because the company isn’t going to give it to you – you have to fight for it.”