Submitted on Tue, 09/05/2006 - 4:08am
By Ron Grossman - Chicago Tribune, September 4, 2006.
In the city of its birth, and 101 years later, the Industrial Workers of the World is still trying to strike a blow for the working class.
Just ahead of Labor Day, baristas at the Starbucks in Logan Square told management that they wanted to be represented by the IWW. A veteran of battles that once made the union movement a major force in American life, the IWW has been largely moribund recently.
Starbucks' management was ready for the faceoff, which occurred during a periodic meeting of employees and managers at the giant coffee merchant's store at 2759 W. Logan Blvd., some workers reported. Corporate honchos would not accept employee demands and handed out copies of the preamble to the IWW's constitution in an effort to discredit the union.
Submitted on Sun, 09/03/2006 - 4:18am
SEIU Local 707 representing 6500 public sector workers of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties brought the recent issues to the SEIU Local 707 Board of Directors who voted to support by resolution;
1. The organizing of Starbucks workers.
2. Boycott Stabucks until fired organizers are reinstated and IWW is recognized with full legal status for workers.
Hereby recorded August 9, 2006, Santa Rosa California.
From: John Morrison, President SEIU707
Submitted on Thu, 08/31/2006 - 2:25am
On August 28th, 5 members of the Washington DC Industrial Workers of the World (DC-IWW) and several local supporters met at Dupont Circle to stage an informational picket of the nearby Starbucks. Under stenciled picket signs emblazoned with "Starbucks: Rehire Fired Union Organizers!" and "Support the Starbucks Union," they handed out 300 flyers to a very sympathetic public, and distributed more than 20 CDs featuring Noam Chomsky's "Class War" lecture, and anarchist texts from Rudolph Rocker, Ricardo Flores Magon, Petr Kropotkin, and Mikhail Bakunin. Passersby and customers of the shop were asked for their signatures on a consumer petition demanding the rehiring of fired IWW union organizers Dainel Gross, Evan Winterscheidt, Joe Agins Jr., and Charles Fostrom. In 90 minutes, the DC-IWW obtained over 50 signatures. All in all, the event attracted the attention of hundreds in the DC area to the union-busting practices of the largest coffee chain in the world and demonstrated the committment of the Industrial Workers of the World to unionizing for the interests of the working class against arbitrary bosses.
The Dupont Circle Starbucks was selected for its location in one of the richest neighborhoods of DC, its numerous clientele, and the dense foot traffic of DuPont Circle, which ensured the highest number of persons engaged by the demonstrators. Before the picket, two members of the DC-IWW informed store workers of the impending protest. They responded positively, one worker chiming, "We support you."
Submitted on Thu, 08/31/2006 - 1:54am
First Group of Baristas Outside of New York City Joins the IWW Starbucks Workers Union
Chicago, IL- Baristas at Chicago’s Logan Square Starbucks store announced last night their membership in the IWW Starbucks Workers Union (www.starbucksunion.org), becoming the first U.S. workers outside of New York City to declare union membership at the world's largest coffee chain.
Workers served Starbucks management at the café, located on 2759 W Logan Blvd., with a declaration of union membership and a set of demands including a living wage, guaranteed work hours, reinstatement of IWW baristas fired for organizing activity, and respect for an independent voice on the job through union membership.
Submitted on Wed, 08/30/2006 - 2:08pm
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO -- A union claiming to represent Starbucks Corp. workers at a handful of coffeehouses said Wednesday that employees of a Chicago store have declared their membership, becoming the first outside New York City to do so.
The baristas at the Logan Square Starbucks store joined the IWW Starbucks Workers Union Tuesday night, the union said. They issued a set of demands that included a living wage, guaranteed work hours and the reinstatement of IWW baristas fired for organizing activity.
Starbucks, the world's largest specialty coffee maker, often is lauded for offering generous benefits that include health insurance for part-time workers. But the two-year-old union, which has members at seven Starbucks locations, contends that workers face low wages and barriers to health care and other benefits.
