Submitted on Mon, 06/27/2005 - 12:48am
In late March & late April of this year, an NLRB Administrative Law Judge heard testimony on the Nutraceutical / Fresh Organics dba The Real Food Co. case. A decision on the various unfair labor practices charges filed against Nutraceutical prior and subsequent to the abrupt closure of Real Foods/24th St. is expected imminently. Here are some details on the case culled from the hearing transcript. (Although not identified in this trannscript, the IWW is the union discussed herein)
By [email protected] - Sunday, Jun. 26, 2005
A SUMMARY OF THE RECENT NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE LAW HEARING CONCERNING CHARGES OF UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES FILED AGAINST FRESH ORGANICS, INC. DBA THE REAL FOOD COMPANY, A WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF NUTRACEUTICAL CORP.
The source for this summary was primarily the transcript from the NLRB hearing. In certain instances, hearing exhibits were also relied upon to provide details. Following the hearing, fifteen or more citizens who'd attended sessions of the hearing met to compare notes and discuss salient aspects of the testimony. This meeting was helpful in terms of later culling material from the hearing transcript, creating a hearing outline, and arranging the material thematically.
Submitted on Tue, 06/21/2005 - 12:08pm
By Diane Krauthamer, June 21, 2005.
StarbucksGeneral Distribution Workers Industrial Union 660
Submitted on Thu, 06/16/2005 - 10:46am
Saturday, June 18 - 12:00pm to 3:00pm:
IWW and Friends Return to the 17th St. and 1st Ave. in Manhattan Starbucks: Get an Organizer Her Damn Job Back!
Join a rowdy moving picket in front of the starbucks at 17th St and 1st Ave in New York City. Bring friends, drums, whistles, and spirit. If you stop in, tip but don't buy.
Sarah Bender was "separated" for allegedly mishandling six dollars. This happened one week after store manager Noura Glenn was overheard discussing her plans to fire Sarah for union activity.
So join us as we demand the unconditional reinstatement of Sarah Bender and an end to illegal union busting! An injury to one is an injury to all.
4:00pm to 7:00pm - Support the Union
The picket relocates. Celebrate the starbucks workers at 2nd Avenue and 9th St. who proudly went public as an IWW union on May 27th 2005! Show your support.
http://www.starbucksunion.org
Submitted on Sat, 06/11/2005 - 1:28pm
By Stanley Holmes- Business Week, June 3, 2005.
For a company that calls its employees "partners," Starbucks is plenty steamed over attempts by some to join a union. The National Labor Relations Board has set a June 15 hearing on claims that management engaged in illegal anti-union activity to keep employees at a New York Starbucks from joining the Industrial Workers of the World.
The IWW local says in the NLRB complaint that management threatened to withhold pay, spied on workers, and offered baseball tickets and health club passes to keep some from joining up. Starbucks officials deny the allegations. Says spokeswoman Audrey Lincoff: "We are pro-partner, and we will not interfere in partners' right in any decision they choose to make."
Starbucks workers announced last year they had formed the company's first North American union, at the store at 36th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. The union isn't certified with the NLRB, but employee and organizer Daniel Gross said it has already won concessions, such as higher starting wages in New York and recognition of repetitive stress injuries, and is gaining members. Starbucks officials deny those claims.
Submitted on Sat, 06/11/2005 - 1:12pm
Audio Link (IWW piece is second story): http://lsiprelle.simpli.biz/laborradio/files/lo/winsheadlines.ram
June 10, 2005
A worker at a Starbucks in New York City is claiming she was fired for encouraging others to join a union. Sarah Bender was a barista at the 17th Street and 1st Avenue store. She says she became interested in joining the Retail Workers Union, a branch of the Industrial Workers of the World, after she heard about successes at the Madison Ave and 36th Street shop. The battle on Madison Avenue has led to Starbucks being called before the National Labor Relations Board on charges of union busting and threatening employees. Bender says once she brought up unions with her coworkers, similar actions occurred.
[Bender1]: Workers at my own store where getting interrogated and having closed door meetings with the manager. Some people were getting threatened to not get promoted if they were involved with me or involved with the union. A lot of things went on for about eight months before I got fired.