Submitted on Sun, 06/18/2006 - 3:30am
At 2:45 on Friday, June 16th a delegation of the IWW Starbucks workers union entered Starbucks at 57th and Lexington.
Workers on the shop floor put on their IWW union pins and let the company know that they too were members of the Starbucks Workers union. Workers stopped working as they presented theirdemands to their store manager Patrice Britton.
The Store manager refused to take the list of demands and ordered everyone back to work. Workers spoke out and let the manager and customers know their concerns. Meanwhile several wobblies were passing out leaflets outside letting customers know what was happening inside.
There was chaos on the floor where the manager was telling workers to get back to work meanwhile customers were asking what was happening and why they weren't being served. There was shouting and arguing.
Submitted on Sat, 06/17/2006 - 1:59am
Reuters - By Abha Bhattarai, June 16, 2006
Starbucks Corp. may be next on the target list of a consumer-health group that this week sued the operator of the KFC fried chicken restaurant chain for frying foods in oils high in harmful trans fat.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest said it is planning to campaign against the global cafe chain because of the increased risk of obesity, heart disease and cancer associated with high-calorie, high-fat products it sells.
And the possibility of legal action against Starbucks, similar to the case it is taking against KFC owner Yum Brands Inc., has not been ruled out, said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson.
Submitted on Sat, 06/10/2006 - 12:17am
Summer Beverage Line Features Drinks With More Calories Than a Big Mac
New York, NY- The IWW Starbucks Workers Union urged its members today to exercise serious caution when consuming Starbucks products because of the increased risk of heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses associated with diet and obesity. The union made the announcement after concluding that according to Starbucks' own nutritional data, the summer line of beverages continues the coffee giant's propensity for drinks high in calories, saturated fat, and sugar.
"The summer line is more of the same junk food from Starbucks," said Michael F. Jacobson, Executive Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). "Regular consumers of Starbucks products could face Venti-sized health problems. If Starbucks cared about its customers' health, it would at least list on the menu board the calorie content of its offerings."
Submitted on Tue, 06/06/2006 - 12:39pm
Staff Report - Industrial Worker, June 2006
IWW and Make the Road by Walking supporters are walking intermittent picket lines at Brooklyn's Amersino produce distribution warehouse, after the boss provoked a short walk-out by firing two IWW activists. One, Eliezer Maca, was fired for challenging the boss's attempt to rig a union representation election by bringing in voters who did not work at the facility.
A majority of Amersino workers joined the IWW in March, and demanded union recognition, reinstatement of fired workers, and an end to company violations of minimum wage and overtime laws. While workers won some immediate gains, the boss demanded a National Labor Relations Board election and pulled out all the stops to win it.
Throughout April, the boss made threats to fire workers and close the warehouse. He reportedly bribed workers to vote against the union. And on April 28, the day of the election, he brought in managers and workers from other facilities to vote against the IWW while challenging several workers' votes by falsely claiming they didnÕt work there. Twenty of the 35 ballots cast were contested.
On April 29, a day after the rigged election, two workers' leaders were suspended without just cause. IWW workers walked out declaring that they would not work unless the two were returned to the job. The boss quickly brought in scabs to replace the union workers, although almost all the scab workers were talked out of working that day.
On May Day, New York Wobblies mounted a spirited picket line outside Amersino as work began at 5:30 a.m. before joining the immigrant rights actions later that day.
On May 2 workers arrived ready to work but were locked out. Later that day the boss agreed to take back all but five workers. As the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board take their time reviewing documents, five fired workers are searching for new jobs.
Submitted on Wed, 05/31/2006 - 1:59am
'Rogue Corporation' is Flouting the Law with Impunity
New York, NY- Still reeling from a defeat at the National Labor Relations Board in March, Starbucks was hit with a fresh legal charge from the IWW Starbucks Workers Union today. The Labor Board charge outlines continuing discrimination and retaliation against union baristas by the world's largest
coffee chain. The legal filing and supporting evidence establish that Starbucks has breached the settlement agreement reached with the government less than three months ago.
“If there was any doubt in the past, Starbucks now has made clear its anti-worker intentions,” said the union's General Counsel, Stuart Lichten, of Schwartz, Lichten, and Bright. “The company is violating one bedrock labor rights principle after another.”