Submitted on Tue, 08/29/2006 - 4:24am
The DC IWW picketed the Dupont Circle Starbucks today from 6:30 pm until 8:00 pm. The workers seemed to appreciate our presence and thanked us for our support. One said "I'm with you." Over the course of an hour and a half five Wobblies and three supporters handed out about 300 flyers and collected more than 50 signatures on a petition demanding that Starbucks re-hire the fired workers. We hope to hold future pickets on a bi-weekly basis.
Submitted on Tue, 08/29/2006 - 3:28am
Attention:
Jim McDermet
Regional Director
Starbucks Inc.
Re: Reinstatement of Daniel Gross
Dear Jim:
My union the Amalgamated Lithographers of America Local One from New York City, an affiliate of the Graphic Communications Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (GCC-IBT), has been notified of the unionbusting tactics being committed by Starbucks. We are here to inform you we stand 100% behind our Sisters and Brothers who are members of the IWW who are exercising their rights by engaging in concerted protected activities.
You must cease and desist such capricious and arbitrary behavior and activities you are illegally engaged in by violating the rights of workers to exercise their democratic right to organize and bargain collectively:
Submitted on Sun, 08/27/2006 - 3:37am
Compañer@s,
El Comité de Solidaridad Internacional siempre se ha esforzado por ser buen compañero con ustedes ayudándoles en sus luchas. Hoy nos toca pedirles ayuda en esta lucha que sostenemos.
Como muchos sabrán, trabajadores miembros del IWW han estado organizando en las cafeterías Starbucks. En los últimos años han tenido victorias en sus puestos de trabajo y han combatido la represión por parte de la empresa la cual claudicó temiendo manchar su imágen pública.
La intimidación más reciente para disuadir a los trabajadores de afiliarse al IWW ha sido el despido de dos miembors en dos cafeterías de Nueva York. Evan Winterscheidt, con dos años de trabajo en la tienda de la calle 14 y 6a Avenida, y Charles Fostrom en la tienda de la calle 57 y Lexington Ave. Han sido despedidos debido a su afiliación en el IWW.
Submitted on Sat, 08/26/2006 - 2:08am
Just a quick report on our Informational picket at Starbucks in Edinburgh yesterday (Saturday 19th).
We (4 wobs, two supporters) chose our ususal target - the High Street branch on the top of the Royal Mile.
The area was teeming with people as it's mid-Festival.
We arrived at 11.00am and went in to speak with Baristas first, in order to explain what we were doing and to offer solidarity. Some Baristas were positive, some negative "We don't need a union". Whilst a manager was informing us that we weren't allowed to do this and none of his staff were interested anyway, a Barista came up and asked for a bundle of leaflets for his co-workers, despite veiled threats from the manager!
Submitted on Sat, 08/26/2006 - 2:00am
UNION CO-FOUNDER IN U.S. FIRED AFTER CAFÉ PICKET. STARBUCKS CONTINUES CAMPAIGN AGAINST UNION.
Starbucks continues a campaign of union busting in the United States while the IWW Starbucks Union continues to organize. Coffee giant Starbucks is accused of unlawfully terminating the Union co-founder, Daniel Gross.
New Zealand union Unite who won a landmark fast food agreement earlier this year with Restaurant Brands Ltd, have expressed solidarity with Daniel Gross and three other union barristas terminated in the last few months on what they call “exaggerated charges designed to bust a sister union”. Gross was fired for “intimidation” after a protest outside Starbucks protesting the earlier firings