For Immediate Release:
Starbucks Workers Union/Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
Contact: Erik Forman, 612-245-4871
July 21, 2008

Starbucks Baristas at the Mall of America Stop Work to Protest Store Closures

Workers Demand Right to Transfer and Fair Severance for Affected Employees

Press Conference July 22, 12 noon, Mall of America Northside Parking Lot

Twin Cities, MN- Baristas at the Mall of America Starbucks walked off the café floor today and delivered a demand letter to management calling for just treatment of all employees affected by Starbucks’ closure of stores nationwide. The surprise job action comes in the wake of the coffee giant’s announcement that it will close 600 stores, including 27 in Minnesota.

The baristas demanded an option to transfer to other stores and a fair severance package for affected workers. Starbucks reportedly plans to give workers just one month notice before laying them off with a paltry two weeks’ pay The company will insist that some baristas transfer and will revoke severance pay if transfer offers are refused.

Disclaimer - The opinions of the author do not necessarily match those of the IWW. This article is reposted in accordance to Fair Use guidelines.

By Julie Forster, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.

Jul. 22--Some baristas at the Mall of America Starbucks are using the company's recently announced plans to close 600 stores nationwide to publicize a 4-year-old union organizing effort.

Starbucks plans to close 27 Minnesota locations.

On Monday, two workers walked off the cafe floor and delivered a demand letter to the store manager asking for, among other things, a more lucrative severance package for workers in Minnesota affected by the store closings, according to the Starbucks Workers Union, an organizing campaign of the Industrial Workers of the World.

A group of Latino workers, at the Twin Cities-based D’Amico’s & Sons restaurant chain have organized and taken direct action to resist being fired for receiving “No-Match” letters from the Social Security Administration. The workers ­ many who have well over a decade of service for the company ­ have been joined by family members, some co-workers, the Workers Interfaith Network (WIN), Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Twin Cities General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.) and others.

D’Amico’s announced that Monday, March 31, 2008 would be the last day of work for 17 employees who had received the “no-match” letters. This appears to be illegal as the Social Security’s “no-match” notices explicitly state that employers should take no “adverse action” against employees based on these letters. “No-match” means a problem has been identified with a worker’s name and social security number not matching. Sometimes this can be due to immigration status, other times a simple typo can trigger the letter. In any case, the legal precedent has been that it was up to employees to correct the issue and not employers. A California Federal Court halted attempts by the Bush administration to penalize employers for having workers with “no-match” letters.

Saturday, February 16, 2008.

Approximately one dozen fellow workers from the Twin Cities General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World marched in support of immigrant rights and struggles in Minnesota on Saturday. The demonstration was organized by MIRAC, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Coalition.

The rights of immigrant workers - both documented and undocumented - is part of a nationwide discussion during this election year, and an international discussion. The terms of the discussion are often the same in today's neoliberal environment. The reactionary right demonizes all those who are forced or choose to travel in search of security, opportunity, and a life; the reactionary left pretends that this is merely a moral issue and ignores the economics of immigration, and the 'muddled middle' hold a variety of contradictory opinions.

DETAILS:
UTAH PHILLIPS BENEFIT
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 6PM
EAGLE'S CLUB - 2507 E. 25th St.
PERFORMERS: Charlie Parr and Bernie King; Pop Wagner & Friends; Gabe Barnett; Mary Dushane; Paul Metsa; Bill Hinckley & Judy Larson; Papa John Kolstad; Maureen McElderry; Peter Lang; Dakota Dave Hull; Phil Heywood.
ADMISSION $10

Utah Phillips, the “Golden Voice of the American Southwest,” and one of America’s longest-performing and most beloved folk singers, has had to end his 40-year career as a traveling musician, due to serious heart problems.

As a result, he is without the means to support himself. The Industrial Workers of the World, which Utah is both a member and a important supporter of, is holding a benefit to help Utah continue to live a decent life, and to help defray his overwhelming medical bills.

Utah is an American military veteran, rail-riding hobo, co-founder of the Joe Hill house, pacifist, former candidate for U.S. Senate (Utah), and former host of National Public Radio (NPR) program Loafer’s Glory: The Hobo Jungle of the Mind.

A major influence on American Folk Music, as well as on the culture of the modern American labor movement, he taught and inspired contemporary folk icons like Rosalie Sorrels, Kate Wolf, and Ani DiFranco, and his music has been covered by countless musicians.

Utah has many Minnesota connections that make it particularly appropriate for this benefit to be held here: he used to play in the hobo jungles at Pig’s Eye Landing, and in the Finnish Socialist Communes that played such an important role in the Minnesotan North.

This is our humble attempt to help out someone who desperately needs our help, and to pay him back a little for his countless contributions to our lives and world. I sincerely hope all can come and help support Utah in his current difficulties.

Current Classes

Updated October 2007 

 

Chomsky 101: An Introduction to Noam Chomsky's Life and Political Thought.

FW Facilitator Stephen Holm

This 6-part class will introduce participants to the thinking and writing of one of America’s preeminent dissidents- the MIT Linguistics professor, Wobbly, and anarchist Noam Chomsky.

Themes covered will include Media and Propaganda; U.S imperialism around the world; and the anarchist alternative. There will be short readings and group discussion.

Chomsky 101 meets Saturdays
November 17th - December 22nd 2007 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Downtown Minneapolis Public Library
4th Floor, Conference Room N-402

 

The Twin Cities branch of the Industrial Workers of the World has restarted the historic school known as the Work People’s College. We are dedicated to providing free, radical, and practical education to the working women and men of our communities, education that will further the aims of the working class revolution that we advocate as a union.

We are now accepting class proposals from prospective instructors for classes beginning in early October 2007. Instructors are not paid, except in gratitude for service to the struggle. We are looking specifically for classes in, but not necessarily limited to, the following areas:

• History     (e.g., The Spanish Civil War, the 1934 Strike)
• Vision        (e.g., Political Economy, Philosophy)
• Culture        (e.g., Working Class Culture classes)
• Organizing    (e.g., Direct Action, Social Mapping)

The Twin Cities Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) is pleased to announce the Winter session of the WORK PEOPLES COLLEGE.  The WORK PEOPLES COLLEGE continues the legacy of working-class education for emancipation carried out by the Duluth, MN IWW in the first part of the 20th Century.

The first Winter class offering is "Imagination and Social Liberation."

This class is dedicated the concept of the ‘imagination,’ which is increasingly used almost as a code-word for modern struggles for social justice and liberation. But what do we mean when we use the word? This class will examine the history of the word in philosophy and practice, from Greek and Muslim philosophers to contemporary social thinkers, and rely on the participation of the students to create a practice-based definition of the word, and justification for why we might (or might not) care about ‘liberating the imaginary.’

This class may be of interest especially to workers and students involved in such movements but lacking a philosophical background, or students of philosophy and psychology with an interest in such movements.