IWW Starbucks Union Co-Founder Daniel Gross Facing Termination Pending "Investigation"
Submitted on Mon, 07/31/2006 - 12:16pm
We need your solidarity now. Daniel Gross, an organizer in the IWW Starbucks Workers Union, is being "investigated" by the company over a protest he and his co-workers participated in to support another IWW barista, Evan Winterscheidt. Evan was suspended and faced termination because of his union activity and his fellow union members went to protest outside his store to demand that he not be fired. Pending the outcome of Starbucks' "investigation" into Daniel's participation in this act of mutual aid, Starbucks will decide whether or not to fire him. The decision could take place any day so please take action now.
IWW Starbucks Union Co-Founder Daniel Gross Facing Termination Pending "Investigation"
Sisters and Brothers:
We need your solidarity now. Daniel Gross, an organizer in the IWW Starbucks Workers Union, is being "investigated" by the company over a protest he and his co-workers participated in to support another IWW barista, Evan Winterscheidt. Evan was suspended and faced termination because of his union activity and his fellow union members went to protest outside his store to demand that he not be fired. Pending the outcome of Starbucks' "investigation" into Daniel's participation in this act of mutual aid, Starbucks will decide whether or not to fire him. The decision could take place any day so please take action now.
Over two years ago, Daniel Gross and a group of co-workers formed the first union of Starbucks baristas in the United States. Since then, the campaign has grown to include union members publicly fighting for a living wage and respect on the job at six Starbucks locations. Baristas interested in joining the IWW Starbucks Workers Union are currently employed at locations around the country. Despite a vicious anti-union campaign waged by Starbucks and its Chairman Howard Schultz, the Wobbly baristas have won three wage increases, more consistent scheduling, and have remedied many individual grievances with the company.
Regrettably, with the campaign to organize Starbucks growing at an unprecedented pace, the company is seeking to erase all our gains thus far and break our union. The company recently terminated two IWW baristas in retaliation for their union activity including Evan. Now the coffee giant is going after Daniel. Starbucks District manager, Allison Marx, who is well known among IWW members as an unscrupulous union-buster, came to the store with other management officials during the protest for Evan on July 15th. As Marx approached the store, Daniel expressed his support for Evan by demanding he not be fired. Such mutual aid and support is the cornerstone of the right to organize.
Two weeks after the protest, Daniel was brought to the back of his store for an interrogation by his District Manager and Partner & Asset Protection Investigator, Marc Stella. Stella attempted to get Daniel to sign a document that said he could be interrogated as long as necessary and that he could be fired for failing to cooperate with the investigation. After Stella denied Daniel a requested IWW witness, he proceeded to ask about the events at the protest for Evan. Daniel objected to the interrogation as interference with protected concerted activity but had no problem declaring that yes indeed he was there and did express his support for Evan to all who entered the store including District Manager Marx. Stella insinuated that Daniel's support of Evan directed towards Marx was threatening. But standing up for your co-worker in a peaceful protest is no "threat" by any reasonable standard.
Daniel has worked at Starbucks for over three years and has labored tirelessly to improve life on the job for all Starbucks workers. He doesn't deserve to be fired for taking a stand in solidarity with his co-worker and fellow union member. But this struggle is about more than one worker and his job. This struggle goes to the heart of whether workers at multinational retailers like Wal-Mart, McDonald's, and Starbucks can exercise their right to free association or are destined to languish as subjects of their employers.
In 2004, when Daniel Gross was under attack by Starbucks, you responded with breathtaking solidarity and saved Daniel's job. Please stand with us again. Together let us show Starbucks the dignity of the working class and the beauty of our labor movement:
1) Participate in the e-mail action campaign at http://starbucksunion.org/node/1005 and encourage others to participate as well
2) Call Regional Director Jim McDermet at 917-207-8660 to demand that Daniel Gross not be fired and that the right of workers to organize be respected
3) Take other creative actions.