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Submitted by x348328 on Wed, 10/17/2007 - 1:19am
Headlines:
- Police attack warehouse solidarity march
- Hazleton anti-immigrant rule struck by US court
- Starbucks froths at Europe union organizing
Featured Articles:
- The return of Praise Boss: The basic rules of capitalism...
- The ICFTU is dead: Bureaucrats and lobbyists unite!
- Argentina workers’ self-management conference a success
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Submitted by x344543 on Tue, 09/25/2007 - 3:44am
Grand Rapids, MI- Still mired in a lengthy labor trial in New York City, Starbucks must contend with a imminent complaint from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) over anti-union activity. After an investigation of charges filed by the IWW Starbucks Workers Union, the NLRB is set to accuse the coffee chain of threatening Grand Rapids baristas with termination for joining the union and denying access to the store bulletin board in an effort to interfere with co-worker communications regarding the union. In addition to the forthcoming complaint, the NLRB is continuing to investigate whether Starbucks violated its 2006 settlement obligations by other anti-union conduct in Grand Rapids.
Submitted by x344543 on Tue, 09/25/2007 - 3:28am
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.
By Moira Herbst - Business Week, September 21, 2007
The labor troubles brewing for Starbucks in New York are spreading to another state, putting the company's worker-friendly image on trial.
On Sept. 20, the National Labor Relations Board accused the coffee chain of unlawful anti-union activity at a store in Grand Rapids, Mich., the second time in recent months that the government organization has leveled such charges against Starbucks (SBUX). The company meanwhile continues a months-long trial in New York, facing charges that it unfairly suppressed organizing efforts by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).
Submitted by x344543 on Tue, 09/25/2007 - 2:35am
Investigative Report: Promises and poverty; Starbucks calls its coffee worker-friendly -- but in Ethiopia, a day's pay is a dollar - By Tom Knudson - Sacramento Bee Staff Writer, September 23, 2007
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GEMADRO, Ethiopia -- Tucked inside a fancy black box, the $26-a-pound Starbucks Black Apron Exclusives coffee promised to be more than just another bag of beans.
Not only was the premium coffee from a remote plantation in Ethiopia "rare, exotic, cherished," according to Starbucks advertising, it was grown in ways that were good for the environment -- and for local people, too.
Submitted by x344543 on Tue, 09/25/2007 - 1:55am
For Immediate Release: September 24, 2007 Contact: starbucksunion@yahoo.com
Statement of the IWW Justice from Bean to Cup Campaign on Sacramento Bee Investigation of Starbucks Coffee Purchasing in Ethiopia
"The four month Sacramento Bee investigation of Starbucks coffee purchasing practices in Ethiopia exposes the same hypocrisy uncovered by the IWW Justice from Bean to Cup delegation when we met with farmers in the birthplace of coffee. While Starbucks makes extraordinary claims about its commitment to coffee farmers, the reality of life on the ground for the farmers and their families is extreme poverty and malnutrition.
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