Submitted by x344543 on Fri, 07/31/2009 - 2:39pm
For Immediate Release:
IWW Starbucks Workers Union
Media Contacts:
Aaron Kocher - 612-220-6454
Liberte Locke - 917-693-7742
July 28, 2009
IWW Starbucks Union Condemns Starbucks Doubling Health Insurance Costs Health Coverage Cuts Come Amidst Soaring Profits
Starbucks, amid massive profits, announced on Monday that it will slash
at employee health care benefits. The company announced that premiums
for its most economical employee health care package will nearly
double, along with across the board increases in out-of-pocket
expenses. This slap in the face to workers comes just one week after
the announcement of $256 million in profits for the quarter, far
exceeding internal and Wall Street expectations.
These cuts are an insult to Starbucks workers, and the thousands of
workers who have been laid off in the last year. The increased costs of
health benefits will be a barrier to many workers thinking of
enrolling, forcing them to make the hard decision between health care
coverage and feeding their families.
We expect more from Starbucks as a leading Fortune 500 company that
builds its brand image on its treatment of its "partners", what it
calls employees. Starbucks has a responsibility to provide affordable,
quality healthcare to its workers, who are responsible for its enormous
profits. Instead, Starbucks continues to use health care benefits as a
marketing tool, while actually covering a lower percentage of its
workforce than the notoriously unethical Wal-Mart.
Starbucks has repeatedly shown that it cannot be trusted to compensate
us fairly. We believe as workers we must organize together to hold
Starbucks accountable, and give us the respect and dignity we deserve.
About the IWW Starbucks Workers Union:
The IWW Starbucks Workers Union is an organization of over 300 current
and former employees at the world's largest coffee chain united for
secure work hours, a living wage, and respect on the job. The union has
members throughout the United States and Canada, fighting for positive
change at the company and defending baristas treated unfairly by
management.
Submitted by x344543 on Fri, 07/31/2009 - 2:27pm
Québec City, July 14,
2009—On Monday morning, the Starbucks Worker’s Union, which is affiliated with
the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), submitted a request for union
certification to Commision des relations de travail to represent the employees
of the Germain-des-Prés Starbucks, in the borough of Ste-Foy, in Québec City.
Recent changes to how the work schedule is managed and new requirements
regarding employee availability convinced the fifteen baristas—mostly students—to unite and defend their interests before
an inflexible and arrogant employer.
“Starbucks is sort of the McDonald’s of the coffee world. They offer low
pay and little job security, but until now, at least our work hours were
flexible, which was great for students working part-time,” states union
member Simon Gosselin, adding “Our union
was formed mainly to fight a clause that requires shift supervisors to work a
minimum of 24 hours a week and baristas to work at least 16 hours. This is a
terrible change. Because of it, the 6 current shift supervisors will be demoted
and they’ll take a 10% pay cut and lose their benefits.”
Since 2004, Starbucks
has been the target of an organization campaign led by the IWW, an alternative
union mainly active in the United States, but also in Canada, Great Britain,
and Australia. “Starbucks claims to be a
socially responsible employer that respects communities and contributes to
economic development,” states IWW spokesman Mathieu Jean. “But with its unsteady and poorly-paid jobs
and frequent infringements of workplace safety standards, Starbucks has more of
a tendency to impoverish communities and lower working conditions.
Submitted by x344543 on Fri, 07/31/2009 - 2:17pm
Disclaimer - The opinions of the author do not necessarily match those of the IWW. The image pictured to the right did not appear in the original article, we have added it here to provide a visual perspective. This article is reposted in accordance to Fair Use guidelines.
Originally posted at CBC News, Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Employees at a Starbucks franchise in Quebec City filed a request to unionize with Quebec's labour relations board on Monday.
If successful, they would become the first workers employed by the coffee chain to unionize in the province.
Employee Simon Gosselin said the move was sparked when Starbucks
made "unfair" changes to working conditions. He said the staff,
comprised of mostly student workers, was being forced to work at least
24 hours a week or be fired.
“I was working between 12 and 16 hours, most of the employees were
doing it as well, and none of us will be able to do that anymore,” said
Gosselin.
The workers have aligned themselves with the Industrial Workers of
the World, a large international union that has butted heads with
Starbucks in the past.
Submitted by x344543 on Fri, 07/31/2009 - 1:45pm
Quebec City Starbucks Baristas Steamed over New Scheduling Demands
Quebec
City, Canada – Steamed over unreasonable new scheduling demands and
deteriorating working conditions, baristas at the Germain-de-Prés
Avenue Starbucks filed for union accreditation Monday, becoming the
first store in Canada to affiliate with the Starbucks Workers Union, a
campaign of the Industrial Workers of the World labor union. The Labor
Relations Commission of Quebec will grant the union accreditation after
verifying their authorization cards in the next few days.
Policy
changes related to Starbucks’ new “Optimal Scheduling” program, one of
a slew of recent schemes intended to slash labor costs, provided the
main impetus for unionization. Under the new policy, Starbucks requires
nearly around-the-clock availability from workers, while refusing to
guarantee a single work hour each week.
Submitted by x344543 on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 7:54pm
What do Starbucks and Wal-Mart have in common?
-------------------
Disclaimer - The opinions of the author do not necessarily match those of the IWW. This article is reposted in accordance to Fair Use guidelines.
Share