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
Submitted on Sat, 08/19/2006 - 12:03am
IWW Bradford took the word to boycott Starbucks for its union-busting activities to the busy Bradford town crowds.
Store managers were taken by surprise. The manager in the new Centenary Square Starbucks jumped up from doing the accounts and told the IWWs to stop leafletting customers. The Fellow Workers only left once they had distributed leaflets to the clients and staff person.
"I didn't think you could cause so much jitter with some A6 [leaflets]," said FW Clive, who reported that the manager said we should call ahead next time we want to leaflet. Sounds like a good idea.
The manager of Starbucks on the second floor of the Waterstones bookstore spread his arms to block the IWWs from climbing the stairs and distribute leaflets. The other Starbucks manager had called ahead to warn him. He said that his clients had the right to relax and enjoy their coffees. The IWWs told him that Starbucks employees had the right to unionize before walking past him. The manager threatened to call the police and the IWWs said, "Go ahead" and distributed leaflets to customers. No police came.
Submitted on Fri, 08/18/2006 - 11:58pm
44 New York City Starbucks Received a Notice of Violation from Department of Health Over Rat or Insect Presence
New York, NY- Fed up with Starbucks’ failure to deal with rat and insect problems, baristas of the IWW Starbucks Workers Union (www.starbucksunion.org) filed a complaint with OSHA today to address the vermin at three Manhattan Starbucks. The workers are seeking improvements in store sanitation, food storage, and other vermin avoidance measures rather than relying solely on periodic and ineffective exterminator visits. The union is also releasing the "Creepy Crawly Starbucks 44 "- a list of the 44 New York City Starbucks that were issued a Notice of Violation in their last inspection from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene over rodent, cockroach, or flying insect presence.
Submitted on Fri, 08/18/2006 - 11:53pm
David Sole, President
Lester Paul Willis - Vice-President
Kuriakose Cheeramvelil - Financial Secretary
Ursula Gray - Recording Secretary
Melvin Dacres, Samuel Gibson, Vijay Valecha – Trustees
Kieron Anthony – Sergeant-At-Arms
Cathy Willey - Guide
August 15, 2006
To: Starbucks Regional VP, Jim McDermet
Starbucks Regional Manager, Wendy Beckman
Dear Sir or Madam:
Our union is outraged that Starbucks has fired Daniel Gross and other union activists in clear violation of the right to organize. Your disregard for the rights of workers is a slap in the face to the entire labor movement. At our August 9 union meeting, a resolution was passed to inform our members and their families of your anti-union activities and to urge them not to buy Starbucks products until you reverse your anti-union policies. We further resolved to support all informational picket lines outside your establishments and to notify other UAW locals in the Metro Detroit area to do the same.
We hope that you will soon realize that being anti-union is not only wrong but will also hurt your bottom line.
Sincerely,
David Sole
President
