Submitted on Tue, 03/11/2008 - 12:50pm
Disclaimer: Brandworkers International is not an official IWW project. members of the IWW participate in Brandworkers International.
For Immediate Release: Brandworkers International
Contact: press (at) brandworkers.org
March 6, 2008
New Advocacy Organization Protects and Advances the Rights of Retail and Food Employees
Brandworkers International Provides a Combination of Legal, Advocacy, and Organizing Support
New York, NY- Prompted by a transforming job market, workers' rights advocates have launched a non-profit organization to protect the rights of the increasing number of workers employed at retail and food chains. Based in New York, Brandworkers International links retail and food employees with concerned individuals to make positive change on the job and in the community. Over three hundred employment attorneys have already joined with Brandworkers to offer legal assistance to workers in need.
"Retail and food workers need an innovative organizational voice to face the variety of challenges posed by a globalized economy," said Brandworkers senior adviser Jennifer Gordon, a professor of labor law at Fordham Law School and a recipient of the MacArthur 'Genius' Fellowship for her leadership on low-wage worker issues. "By connecting under served employees with social change resources including lawyers, labor unions, and
community groups, Brandworkers will help ensure that workers' rights are both protected and expanded."
Submitted on Wed, 03/05/2008 - 2:00pm
Statement for March 6 International Day of Action in Solidarity with
the Workers of Iran
The International Solidarity Commission of the Industrial Workers of
the World (IWW), an international rank-and-file labor union, warmly
extends our solidarity with the workers of Iran, on this, the
occasion
of the March 6th Global Day of Action. Reflecting on the 100+ year
history of our own union, we in the IWW recognize that real victories
for workers have never come without struggle, hardship, and--all too
often--repression. For years now, the Iranian workers have bravely
faced down brutal opposition from government forces, right-wing
clerics and their supporters, and of course, the bosses themselves.
They have paid a terrible price for their efforts to bring about
justice in the workplace and in society. We know that workers,
organizers and activists have been harassed, threatened, beaten,
fined, fired, whipped, jailed and worse, simply for exercising their
right to organize.
Submitted on Fri, 02/29/2008 - 11:07pm
Disclaimer - The opinions of the author do not necessarily match those of the IWW. This article is reposted in accordance to Fair Use guidelines.
February 28, 2008, by Lisa Baertlein - Reuters
Starbucks’ decision to close its stores for a few hours of
coffee-brewing training on Tuesday got a double shot of media airtime —
when it was first announced and the day of the closure — but has it
raised the bar on coffee or customer service at the ubiquitous coffee
chain’s outlets?
This reporter conducted a highly unscientific poll of five
customers, and the exchanges, at a Starbucks in Los Angeles’ downtown,
went something like this:
Submitted on Fri, 02/29/2008 - 11:04pm
Disclaimer - The opinions of the author do not necessarily match those of the IWW. The image pictured to the right appeared in the original article. This article is reposted in accordance to Fair Use guidelines.
Andrew Clark in New York - guardian.co.uk, Friday February 29 2008
It was tough - but Americans soldiered on. For three hours on
Tuesday afternoon, Starbucks outlets across the nation closed their
doors for a mass barista training session aimed at perking up coffee
quality. But was this shutdown an espresso masterclass or simply a
public relations masterstroke?
Nicknamed "fourbucks" for the
hefty price of its brew, Starbucks holds a special place in modern
culture. It has injected new words into popular discourse –
Frappuccino, half-caff. Apparently a "red-eye" means an extra shot. And
to many people, the Italian word "venti" has become an adjective
meaning extra large.
Submitted on Thu, 02/28/2008 - 4:46am
Headlines:
- UK blood service cuts blunted
- AFSCME defeat births new convictions, strategy
- Rail Workers build inter-union solidarity caucus
Featured Articles:
- Online blacklist: how the Internet helps the bosses
- Working Out: Queer and labor's passionate affair
- The final March to the Left column by Dorice McDaniels
Download a free PDF copy of this issue.
