Submitted on Tue, 09/29/2009 - 7:31pm
Headlines:
- Another Starbucks Barista Unjustly Fired
- Sydney Bus Drivers Take Wildcat Action
- Berry-Picking Vietnamese Guest Workers Go On Strike
Features:
- Delegate Convention Ushers in New Era of IWW
- Steve Early’s “Embedded With Organized Labor" reviewed
- South African Ladismith Cheese Stinks
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Submitted on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 1:23pm
Headlines:
- Korean Motor Workers Under Police Seige
- French Auto Workers To Blow Up Factory?
- Starbucks Workers Union Expands To Canada
Features:
- London Workers Shut Down Underground
- Honduras Uprising Against Coup
- Review: Capitalism And The Transformation Of Africa
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Submitted on Fri, 07/31/2009 - 2:39pm
For Immediate Release:
IWW Starbucks Workers Union
Media Contacts:
Aaron Kocher - 612-220-6454
Liberte Locke - 917-693-7742
July 28, 2009
IWW Starbucks Union Condemns Starbucks Doubling Health Insurance Costs Health Coverage Cuts Come Amidst Soaring Profits
Starbucks, amid massive profits, announced on Monday that it will slash
at employee health care benefits. The company announced that premiums
for its most economical employee health care package will nearly
double, along with across the board increases in out-of-pocket
expenses. This slap in the face to workers comes just one week after
the announcement of $256 million in profits for the quarter, far
exceeding internal and Wall Street expectations.
These cuts are an insult to Starbucks workers, and the thousands of
workers who have been laid off in the last year. The increased costs of
health benefits will be a barrier to many workers thinking of
enrolling, forcing them to make the hard decision between health care
coverage and feeding their families.
We expect more from Starbucks as a leading Fortune 500 company that
builds its brand image on its treatment of its "partners", what it
calls employees. Starbucks has a responsibility to provide affordable,
quality healthcare to its workers, who are responsible for its enormous
profits. Instead, Starbucks continues to use health care benefits as a
marketing tool, while actually covering a lower percentage of its
workforce than the notoriously unethical Wal-Mart.
Starbucks has repeatedly shown that it cannot be trusted to compensate
us fairly. We believe as workers we must organize together to hold
Starbucks accountable, and give us the respect and dignity we deserve.
About the IWW Starbucks Workers Union:
The IWW Starbucks Workers Union is an organization of over 300 current
and former employees at the world's largest coffee chain united for
secure work hours, a living wage, and respect on the job. The union has
members throughout the United States and Canada, fighting for positive
change at the company and defending baristas treated unfairly by
management.
Submitted on Thu, 07/30/2009 - 11:55am
Workers at Streetlight / Porchlight Youth Shelters are asking for support from Fellow Workers in the IWW in an escalation campaign against Janus Youth Programs. The workers have been in wage re-negotiations with Janus since January but the negotiations have been shaky since the beginning.
Janus has repeatedly insisted that they don’t have to bargain and have refused to put forward any counter-proposals that would allow for the modest demands that the Union is seeking. Janus has denied the overwhelming majority of Information Requests throughout the course of negotiations as well, further hampering the negotiations. Attempts to reach out to the National Labor Relations Board have been fruitless as well despite evidence of “bad faith bargaining” on behalf of Janus.
The Union has dropped several of the original demands including a Spanish speaking pay differential in order to focus on a Cost Of Living Adjustment (if Janus provides it for other non-union Janus employees) and a raise for the On-Call (Sub) positions when they reach Bargaining Unit status. Janus’ last communication to the Union was that they were done with negotiations and that workers should wait until next year when the full contract expires to re-negotiate.
The first step in escalation was to have Portland IWW members and other local allies put pressure on Janus through a phone and email blast. The next step is to ask FW’s from across the world to do the same.
Below is a rough draft script for when making phone calls or sending emails. Phone calls are most effective but emails help as well. We are trying to hit them Monday (August 3rd) through Wednesday (August 5). Please take some time and make a couple calls during those days to help out workers at Streetlight / Porchlight Youth Shelters. If you have any questions or would like to get more involved please contact Chris at [email protected].
Submitted on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 9:48pm
Headlines:
- UE Workers in Chicago Facing Another Plant Closure
- PIDC Hunger Strike Leader Assaulted & Threatened
- Indigenous People Massacred in Peru
Features:
- Recession: Time To Organize
- Special: Wobbly Art & Poetry
- Post-Fordism in Northern Ireland
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