Submitted on Fri, 01/16/2009 - 2:42pm
Saturday 10 January 2009
The International Solidarity Commission (ISC) of the Industrial Workers of
the World (IWW) condemns in the strongest possible terms the military attack by
the Israeli state and IDF on the 1.5 million Palestinian people living in the
Gaza strip. This attack has included sustained indiscriminate aerial bombing of
urban population centers, schools, mosques, hospitals and other civilian
infrastructure. Hundreds of civilians have been killed and injured, and homes
have been destroyed. This attack is a form of collective punishment by the
Israeli state against the people in Gaza. This attack on the people in Gaza is
barbaric and represents an attack on the working class in all countries.
The ISC condemns the 18-month siege against the population in Gaza which
has prevented food, electricity, medical supplies, and other basic necessities
from reaching the people of Gaza and crippling the economy. This form of
collective punishment against the people of Gaza is barbaric and represents an
attack on the working class in all countries.
The ISC condemns rocket
attacks fired into southern Israel by various factions in Gaza. These attacks
have killed and injured Israeli civilians. This form of collective punishment
against the people of southern Israel represents an attack on the working class
in all countries.
The ISC recognizes the urgency and massive scale of
the current attacks and mass murder against the people of Gaza by the Israeli
state.
It is estimated that 850 Palestinians in Gaza and 13 Israelis have
died so far.
The IWW is a revolutionary international industrial union
that works to build unity of workers and working class people across all
borders, occupations, industries, religions, races and nationalities. The IWW
stands, and has always stood against all wars. Wars are caused by capitalist
governments, and anti-working class leaders and movements, for the economic and
political benefit of the ruling elites. We the working class are made to fight
each other against our own interests.
Submitted on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 8:35pm
For Immediate Release:
Starbucks Workers Union (Industrial Workers of the World)
January 9, 2009
Statement of the IWW Starbucks Workers Union on the Purchase of a $45
Million Corporate Jet by Starbucks
"The IWW Starbucks Workers Union is appalled that Starbucks spent $45
million on a new corporate jet so that CEO Howard Schultz could spend the
holidays in Hawaii glad-handing sports superstars while baristas and shift
supervisors are denied the work hours they need to make ends meet in the midst
of an economic crisis. With that $45 million, Starbucks could provide over five
million additional work hours to employees in need or maintain its gutted 401k
program for three additional years.
Starbucks' new corporate jet only seats 19 passengers. That leaves out
tens of thousands of us so-called partners. As a company that claims to treat
all of its employees with "respect and dignity", Starbucks should sell its
extravagant jet and use the money to benefit its workers and their families, not
just senior executives. Starbucks should start by scaling back painful
across-the-board labor cuts and maintaining a transparent 401k matching plan, so
that workers know what to expect before they put their money away for
decades.
In today's dire economic climate, there is no room for this kind of
corporate extravagance. Instead of bearing their share of the burden, Starbucks
management has recklessly chosen to further reward their poor performance. As
Starbucks wastes much needed funds on unnecessary luxuries, it can expect
increased resistance from baristas and shift supervisors seeking job security
and sufficient work hours."
The IWW Starbucks Workers Union (StarbucksUnion.org) is an organization of
almost 300 current and former employees at the world's largest coffee chain
united for secure work hours, a living wage, and an independent voice on the
job. Through direct action, public education, and legal advocacy, the union
fights for systemic change at Starbucks and confronts management over unfair
treatment of individual employees.
The Industrial Workers of the World (iww.org) is a global grassroots union
open to all working people.
Submitted on Wed, 01/07/2009 - 5:41pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Starbucks Workers Union / Industrial Workers of the World
Contact: Erik Forman, 608 695 8705
January 7, 2008
Starbucks' Legal Troubles Deepen as Union Files Charges with National Labor Relations Board on nearly 30 Rights' Violations
Twin Cities Baristas to Illustrate Impact of Union-busting with Big "Performance Review" of Starbucks Management
Minneapolis -- On the heels of a landmark decision finding Starbucks guilty of almost 30 labor violations in New York City, the IWW Starbucks Workers Union has slapped the embattled coffee giant with new charges of nearly 30 additional counts of illegal union-busting in Minneapolis/St. Paul. The union alleges that Starbucks broke federal law repeatedly by interrogating workers about union sympathies, instructing supervisors to spy on the union, and disciplining workers for participating in the union. Union baristas plan to deliver a six-month "Performance Review" of Starbucks to regional management to illustrate their disgust.
Union barista Erik Forman said, "After the guilty verdict in New York City and settlements in the Twin Cities and Grand Rapids, we had hoped that Starbucks would have learned its lesson, but unfortunately, the company has chosen to continue the pattern of illegal union-busting they have established across the US. We will not stand for this, Starbucks must respect our right to organize."
In late December, a federal ruling against Starbucks concluded a two-year legal battle between Starbucks and baristas represented by the Industrial Workers of the World labor union in New York City, ordering the reinstatement of three baristas fired for union activity. The ruling parallels recent events in Grand Rapid, MI and the Twin Cities where Starbucks settled two similar Unfair Labor Practice charges.
Submitted on Wed, 01/07/2009 - 5:11pm
Message Preview
From: Your Name <
[email protected]>
To:
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected]
Subject: E-Mail Action: Tell Starbucks We're Not Backing Down on Martin Luther King Day!
Your Personal Statement
Howard Schultz
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Starbucks Corporation
[email protected]
Dear Mr. Schultz,
I urge you in 2009 to stop treating Martin Luther King Day like a
second-class holiday. Last year after grassroots actions from the IWW
Starbucks Workers Union, your company was forced to admit publicly that
Starbucks does not pay the same time-and-a-half holiday premium on Dr.
King's federal holiday that it pays on five other holidays.
After you declined to honor Dr. King's day in 2008, the Starbucks
Workers Union refused to back down and pledged to fight on toward 2009
in the great tradition of the civil rights movement.
Many baristas, like many people around the world, are deeply inspired
by Dr. King's message and example. Yet while Starbucks claims to
embrace diversity and respect Dr. King, you continue to treat Martin
Luther King Day as inferior to other federal holidays.
I join the SWU's call for Starbucks to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. and the baristas who work on the federal holiday
commemorating his birthday by paying the time and a half holiday
premium you already pay on several other federal holidays. I expect
your prompt attention to this matter.
Your Name
Your Organization
123 Your St.
Yousville, YO 12345 United States
Phone: (123)456-7890
Fax: (123)456-7890x123
Submitted on Wed, 01/07/2009 - 4:32am
Disclaimer - The opinions of the author do not necessarily match those of the IWW. This article is reposted in accordance to Fair Use guidelines.
By Moira Herbst - BusinessWeek, December 31, 2008
Starbucks (SBUX),
once the undisputed leader in premium-price caffeine fixes, has long
cultivated a corporate image for social responsibility, environmental
awareness, and sensitivity to workers' rights. Now that carefully
crafted reputation is under assault, thanks to a messy legal dispute
with a group called the Starbucks Workers Union (SWU) (part of the
Industrial Workers of the World, or IWW), which started recruiting
employees in 2004 and now claims 300 members.
The National Labor Relations Board found on Dec. 23 that Starbucks
had illegally fired three New York City baristas as it tried to squelch
the union organizing effort. The 88-page ruling also says the company
broke the law by giving negative job evaluations to other union
supporters and prohibiting employees from discussing union issues at
work. The judge ordered that the three baristas be reinstated and
receive back wages. The judge also called on Starbucks to end
discriminatory treatment of other pro-union
workers at four Manhattan locations named in the case. The decision
marks the end of an 18-month trial in New York City that pitted the
ubiquitous multinational corporation against a group of twentysomething baristas who are part of the Industrial Workers of the World.
The timing isn't ideal for Starbucks, which faces lower demand from the
recession, an overall loss of panache for the brand, and a sliding
stock price. "[The ruling] is a real thumb in the eye—a real gotcha
moment with potential for heartache," says Eric Dezenhall, chief
executive officer of Dezenhall Resources, a crisis management public
relations firm in Washington D.C. "I don't think it's a crisis, but it
hovers between [being] a nuisance and a problem."
