Starbucks

This page displays *all* news items from Starbucks campaign.

For an overview of the IU 660's history and contact information, please visit our homepage.

Organizing McDonalds and Starbucks

Posted Thu, 03/23/2006 - 11:49am by x344543

Reposted from Labourstart.Org.

Last week we urged all of you to send off messages in support of the heroic effort by a plucky New Zealand union to organize workers at McDonalds -- and we mentioned their high-profile strike at Starbucks as well.

We have been asked to clarify that (a) in several European and Latin American countries, strong union movements have succeeded in organizing McDonalds, and (b) in Canada, an effort was made to unionize Starbucks by the Canadian Auto Workers, leading to a well-publicized 'unstrike' back in 1999.

That having been said, McDonald's must surely be on the top of everyone's list who is concerned about the growth of the non-union, low-paid workforce -- which is why we all need to send off thousands more messages to McDonald's in New Zealand in support of the Super Size My Pay campaign:

http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=80

  • Login or register to post comments
  • Share this Share

Do Hot Coffee and 'Wobblies' Go Together?

Posted Tue, 03/21/2006 - 8:56pm by x344543

By Kris Maher and Janet Adamy, The Wall Street Journal - Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Unions haven't had much luck organizing Starbucks Corp.'s baristas, many of whom are part-timers or college students with little incentive to sign union cards since they're not planning on building long-term careers brewing venti skim lattes.

The latest to try to organize the company's workers is the Industrial Workers of the World, a union with a long, feisty history and a counter-cultural aura.

Starbucks recently settled a complaint issued by the National Labor Relations Board that contained more than two dozen unfair labor practice allegations brought against the company by the IWW. The settlement stemmed from disputes at just three stores in New York City and will likely have little impact on the vast majority of Starbucks workers. But it illustrates the careful approach the company is taking toward labor activists as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and other union targets try to rebuild their images after union campaigns tarnished their reputations.

Union: more organizing at Starbucks after Manhattan settlement

Posted Thu, 03/09/2006 - 10:48am by x344543
March 9, 2006, 1:55 AM EST - AP New York; reposted from Newsday.

SEATTLE (AP) _ A union that sought to represent Starbucks Corp. baristas at three Manhattan coffeehouses says it will ramp up its organizing efforts now that the company has settled an unfair labor practice complaint.

A branch of the Industrial Workers of the World that calls itself IWW Starbucks Workers Union characterized Tuesday's settlement as a victory for union organizing. Among other things, it requires Starbucks to post notices at the three stores named in the complaint stating that employees have the right to join a union.

Union Scores Big Victory Against Starbucks at Labor Board

Posted Wed, 03/08/2006 - 6:41pm by x344543
Coffee Giant Must Rehire Fired Baristas and Rescind National Anti-Union Policies - from www.starbucksunion.org, March 8, 2006.

New York, NY- The IWW Starbucks Workers Union won a watershed victory yesterday in the first National Labor Relations Board conflict over unfair labor practices between the world's largest coffee chain and the baristas who work there. Faced with the prospect of having its widespread union-busting campaign exposed in a public hearing, Starbucks agreed to remedy all of the myriad violations committed against workers who have organized a union.

"We hope Starbucks' decision to settle reflects a strategic assessment to cease what has been a relentless anti-union campaign and accept the right of baristas to gain a voice on the job by joining together," said Laura De Anda, one of the union members that prevailed in the proceedings. "The IWW Starbucks Workers Union is here to stay."

Starbucks Faces Hearing On Egregious Anti-Union Violations

Posted Wed, 03/01/2006 - 3:48am by x344543

PACK THE HEARING ROOM STARTING MONDAY, MARCH 6TH!  STAND WITH IWW BARISTAS AND AGAINST STARBUCKS UNION-BUSTING!

Who:

A judge hearing testimony from senior Starbucks officials and members of the Industrial Workers of the World on allegations of threats, bribes, surveillance, discrimination, and retaliatory discharge of union employees. The IWW Starbucks Workers Union will be represented by its General Counsel, Stuart Lichten, of Schwartz, Lichten & Bright. Starbucks will be represented by Daniel Nash and Gregory Knopp of the corporate firm Akin Gump. Ironically, Nash and Knopp are the very same lawyers who were advising the company during the anti-union campaign that resulted in the federal complaint.