Baristas vs Billionaires
The Progressive and the South Central Federation of Labor Welcome
BARISTAS VS. BILLIONAIRES
A GENERATIONAL UPRISING
December 10 @ 7:00 pm – December 11 @ 7:00 pm
** TICKETS CANNOT BE MAILED FOR THIS EVENT **
The Progressive and the South Central Federation of Labor welcome
The Madison premiere of a new documentary film
BARISTAS VS. BILLIONAIRES
A GENERATIONAL UPRISING
Directed by Academy Award Nominee Mark Mori. Narrated by Susan Sarandon. Featuring a special guest appearance by co-producer Glenn Silber. A new generation of workers takes on Starbucks, exposing the company’s union-busting tactics behind its pro-worker image.
Box Office: 5:30 PM | Doors: 6 PM | Movie: 7 PM
Tickets cannot be mailed for this event. If ordering in advance, please select “will call” or purchase the day of at the box office.
Film Synopsis
Baristas vs. Billionaires tells the powerful and timely story of a new generation of workers taking on Starbucks—an iconic brand that publicly champions progressive values while secretly waging an aggressive, illegal campaign to crush union efforts.
Leaked videos from whistleblowers reveal the company’s playbook: deploying a “SWAT team” of out-of-town managers to intimidate and dismantle organizing efforts, retaliating against pro-union workers through harassment, surveillance, and termination.
Through exclusive interviews with front-line baristas like Michelle Eisen and Gianna Reeve, and veteran labor organizer Richard Bensinger, the film exposes a stark contradiction between Starbucks’ public image and its behind-the-scenes union busting. Bensinger, with five decades of experience, calls Starbucks one of the most ruthless companies he’s ever faced.
This fight has captured national attention, with congressional hearings and a Senate subpoena forcing CEO Howard Schultz to testify under oath. Even the U.S. Supreme Court has weighed in on a related case, underscoring the movement’s far-reaching implications for American labor.
Baristas vs. Billionaires is more than a documentary—it’s a call to action. At its heart is a deeply American struggle: the fight for dignity, fair treatment, and a voice on the job.