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.
For Immediate Release:
Share
Employees at a Starbucks franchise in Quebec City filed a request to unionize with Quebec's labour relations board on Monday.
Quebec City Starbucks Baristas Steamed over New Scheduling Demands