Submitted on Sun, 11/26/2006 - 2:57am
PITTSBURGH, PA—Local members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), joined by Friends of Labor supporters from across the city, participated in the IWW Starbucks Union’s “Global Days of Action” in a picket held here on November 24, 2006. For an hour on a sunny Friday afternoon, over twenty workers supporting the Starbucks Workers Union carried picket signs and loudly chanted in front of the Squirrel Hill Starbucks at the corner of Forbes and Shady Avenue. This was part of a broader movement in many cities around the world to protest Starbucks’ anti-union practices and the wrongful termination of five union workers.
As the post-lunch crowd milled about, union activists entered the store in an attempt to talk with employees and customers, and formed a line extending from the registers back to the entrance. The pro-union customers were faced with so many beverage options that it took a while to decide what they wanted. Others dug through their pockets and realized that while they had enough for a tip, they would have to put the price of their small but expensive beverage on a credit card.
Submitted on Sat, 11/25/2006 - 3:58am
November 22, 2006
Five unjustly fired IWW baristas entered the Starbucks regional headquarters today to demand their jobs back and demand that Starbucks cease its scorched earth union-busting policy. As SWU members and community supporters picketed outside, the fired baristas delegation addressed their demands to Starbucks "Partner and Asset Protection Investigator" Marc Stella inside the company's posh office across from the Empire State Building. Marc Stella is the company's internal Pinkerton who conducted the sham investigation against Daniel Gross and is likely complicit in all the baristas' terminations. Regional Director Jim McDermott was conveniently out of the office enjoying the Thanksgiving Weekend and his fat cat salary as baristas work extra-hard meeting holiday demand on a poverty wage.
Submitted on Sat, 11/25/2006 - 3:39am
Disclaimer - The following article is reposted here because it is an issue with some relevance to the IWW. The views of the author do not necessarily agree with those of the IWW and vice versa.
By By news-press.com - Originally posted on November 24, 2006
Two of the three Starbucks locations at the Market Square were the scene of protests this morning.
Roughly 17 people ascended on the stand-alone at the shop's at Market Square and at the in-store and the the Target locations.
Melody Gonzalez, 23, of Immokalee said the group was there to protest what she contends is Starbucks firing of workers who are trying to unionize and receive better wages and health insurance. She said they are also protesting Starbucks alleged failure to use only fair trade coffee.
"A fair trade means the coffee farmers are receiving a fair price for the coffee they produce," she said.
Gonzalez said local protests is part of a national initiative today and tomorrow to call attention to these issues.
The protest began at about 9 a.m. With people bearing signs stating such things as "Starbucks robs coffee farmers" and "know where your bean has been."
At the stand-alone store the protesters stood along an access road as Black Friday shoppers drove by. In the parking lot behind them were as many as four cars from the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
Gonzalez said most of the protesters were from Immokalee with some from Fort Myers and they came as concerned citizens, not representing any organizations. However, she did say that their ranks included members of the Student Farmworkers Alliance, Interfaith Action of Southwest Florida and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
"There's shopping and there's thoughtful shopping," Laura Germino of LaBelle said. She was there with her husband, Greg Asbed and their son, Isaiah, 22-months old.
"We just thought it was a different approach to the big buying day for consumers,"Germino said. "There are thoughtful consumers out there who think about where they shop and want to support businesses and treat people right and have fair trade policies."
The protest was over by roughly noon. The manager of the stand-alone Starbucks store said company policy prevented her from commenting.
Submitted on Sat, 11/18/2006 - 11:50am
PITTSBURGH, PA - The Starbucks Workers Union in about 50 cities around the world--including Pittsburgh--has called for a global day of action November 24th to protest Starbucks' anti-union activity and poor employee compensation.
The Starbucks Union of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) is calling for an end to corporate union-busting and demanding the reinstatement of five workers unlawfully fired by Starbucks for union activity. In March 2006, a National Labor Relations Board settlement was reached that reinstated two workers involved with the union movement and forced Starbucks to pay back wages and change discriminatory policies, including the workers' right to wear union buttons (which Starbucks had denied them). But the settlement seemed to do little to stop Starbucks? continued practice of intimidating workers involved in organizing.
Over the last two years Starbucks has consistently responded to union activity with harassment, intimidation, and illegal firings. Since December 2005, five workers in NYC were unlawfully fired for engaging in protected union activity:
- Joseph Agins fired from Starbucks, December 12th 2005
- Charles Fostrom fired from Starbucks, July 11th 2006
- Evan Winterscheidt fired from Starbucks, July 18th 2006
- Daniel Gross fired from Starbucks, August 5th 2006
- Isis Saenz fired from Starbucks, November 1st 2006
The Starbucks Workers Union is demanding an immediate reinstatement of all NYC
workers and an end to the corporate union-busting.
The Union is also protesting the need for higher wages, appropriate staffing, guaranteed hours, and safer working conditions. "Don't be fooled by Starbucks' so-called progressive, feel-good image," said Kevin Farkas, an IWW organizer in Pittsburgh. "Starbucks is one of the most profitable and competitive global companies in history, with about $8 billion in net earnings in 2006. Yet Starbucks 'partners' have starting wages around $7/hr, far below a livable standard for any worker. Clearly, Starbucks chooses to make such huge profits off the backs of its under-compensated, part-time workforce. That's putting profits before people, something that most working folks find disgusting."
Farkas went on to say that after six months on the job, typical raises amount to pennies, even as low as 11 cents in some documented cases. Despite Starbucks' claim of 'generous' healthcare, 401(k) retirement, and company stock options for employees, the reality is that wages and hours are so low that many employees can't afford such offerings after paying their rent, utility bills, car insurance and other basic bills each month. Starbucks also uses a part-time workforce; there are no full-time workers and no guaranteed hours per week, leaving many Starbucks 'partners' little choice but to partner up with a 2nd or 3rd job just to make ends meet.
On November 24th, the Pittsburgh Starbucks Workers Union will be holding a protest against Starbucks' anti-union, anti-worker practices. An event is scheduled at the Starbucks Coffee store in Squirrel Hill. All friends of labor are invited to join the Union and demand justice for Starbucks workers in Pittsburgh and around the world.
Submitted on Wed, 11/15/2006 - 11:19pm
Starbucks Workers demand the right to Organize
This November 24th-25th, stand in solidarity with Starbucks workers as we call for an end to the anti-union campaign waged by Starbucks and for the reinstatement of all unlawfully fired workers. In addition we are calling on Starbucks to give Ethiopia control over its coffee.
Starbucks workers around the country and the world are organizing to make our jobs better and finally have a real, independent voice at work. A powerful voice that our managers, even the whole company, have no choice but to listen too. By organizing a union baristas in NYC have seen our wages increased, schedules stabilized and respect from our bosses. Over the last two years, however, Starbucks has consistently responded to workers organizing with harassment, intimidation and illegal firings. A National Labor Relations Board settlement was reached in March of 2006 that reinstated two workers and forced Starbucks to pay back wages and change discriminatory policies. The Settlement did little to stop the anti-union campaign and since December of 2005 five workers in NYC were unlawfully fired for engaging in protected union activity.
