Submitted on Wed, 10/03/2007 - 3:52am
Originally published at Media Mouse
On Friday, the Starbucks Workers Union--a union affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and formed in response to Starbucks' mistreatment of its baristas--held a press conference outside of Starbucks' Wealthy Street store in East Grand Rapids to respond to charges filed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against the company. The charges included allegations that store employees were denied access to a store bulletin board that was previously open after an employee posted union materials, that a store manager threatened employees with "discharge and unspecified reprisals" if they engaged in union activities, and that they failed to change employee handbooks to indicate that employees could wear union buttons and have union literature based on a 2006 settlement in New York City.
Submitted on Wed, 10/03/2007 - 3:40am
By Chris Knape - Friday, September 28, 2007, The Grand Rapids Press
EAST GRAND RAPIDS -- The National Labor Relations Board is expected to decide by today if it will file charges against a Starbucks in Gaslight Village over allegations it violated employee rights to organize a union.
The NLRB is waiting to see if the coffee giant is willing to settle the charges, which included allegedly restricting the distribution of organizing materials and threatening to fire employees involved in unionizing efforts.
"Unless the matter is settled in the next day or two, we'll take further action," said Stephen Glasser, director of the NLRB's Region 7.
Submitted 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 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 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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Audio Slide Show
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.