On the way to work tomorrow morning, you might stop for coffee. It’s a simple routine: place your order, exchange a quick greeting, and head off to start the day.

But behind that counter, the people serving your coffee may also be part of one of the most important labor movements of the current generation.

A new documentary, Baristas vs. Billionaires, tells the story of young workers who decided they deserved more than low wages, unstable schedules, and little voice on the job. The film follows baristas who began organizing their workplaces and sparked a nationwide movement for dignity and fairness at work. 

Directed by Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Mark Mori and narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Susan Sarandon, the documentary chronicles the organizing drive that began in Buffalo, New York in 2021. What started with a single store quickly spread across the country as workers stepped forward to demand better conditions and a real voice in their workplace.

The film highlights the courage it takes for workers—many of them young and working their first jobs—to challenge a powerful corporation and fight for the right to organize. Along the way, it documents protests, organizing efforts, and the real personal risks workers faced for speaking out.

But at its heart, Baristas vs. Billionaires is about something bigger than one company or one industry. It’s about the basic idea that everyone who works deserves dignity on the job.

Across every profession—from service workers to educators, healthcare workers, construction workers, and public employees—people rely on collective action to improve their lives. Unions have long been one of the most powerful ways workers come together to secure fair wages, safe working conditions, and respect at work.

That’s why stories like this matter.

They remind us that the rights many workers enjoy today—weekends, overtime pay, safer workplaces, and fair treatment—did not appear overnight. They were won by workers who stood together and demanded something better.

Baristas vs. Billionaires captures that spirit for a new generation.

So the next time you pick up a cup of coffee on the way to work, remember: the person handing it to you may also be part of a larger fight for fairness and respect on the job.

And that’s something every working person can understand.

Learn more about the film visit:  https://www.baristasvsbillionaires.com