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Starbucks Workers Joining IWW in Global Fight for Labor Rights

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Starbucks Workers Joining IWW in Global Fight for Labor Rights IWW General Assembly Workers’ safety requires launches organizing dept. a culture of solidarity Delegates from across Canada Bosses’ insatiable demand for and U.S. discuss strategies for profit must be confronted to building union, solidarity 6-7 defend our lives and planet 8-9 Starbucks workers Industrial joining IWW in global fight for labor rights Picket lines are appearing at Starbucks outlets around the world, as word spreads of the coffee giant’s firing of three IWW members for union activity between July 11 Worker and August 5. Workers were illegally fired on pretexts ranging from insubordination to undermining employee morale as Starbucks grows ever more desperate to crush the union’s growing support. OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE The German FAU union wrote Starbucks INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD August 19 to protest the firings of Charles Fostrom, Evan Winterscheidt, Daniel Gross October 2006 #1688 Vol. 103 No. 9 $1.00 / 75 p and Joe Agnis (a union supporter fired ear- Wobblies picketed the Dupont Circle Star- lier), and warning of actions at Starbucks bucks August 28, speaking to customers and outlets across Germany if they were not re- workers. They picketed the Adams Morgan N’west flight attendants strike barred instated. In Vienna, the Allegmeines Syndikat store Sept. 11, launching roving pickets at by J os HU A D E V ries Wien has leafleted all Starbucks outlets in Starbucks locations throughout the city. A United States judge has blocked flight attendants at Northwest Airlines from strik- that city, alerting customers to the company’s Boston Wobblies held a successful Soli- ing, even while allowing the company to abrogate their contract. vicious union-busting. darity Night fund-raiser Sept. 9, raising nearly The company is in bankruptcy and the bankruptcy court judge permitted the company New Zealand’s Unite union, which won $400 to assist the fired workers and spread to impose its dream contract, but even he would not block a strike since the previously a landmark fast food agreement with Res- the word about Starbucks’ assault on its work- negotiated agreement had been abrogated. However, a judge in U.S. District Court pointed taurant Brands Ltd. earlier this year, issued a ers. Musicians including Dieselhorse, Evan to the “vital role” that airlines play and issued an injunction blocking a strike. statement expressing “disgust at Starbucks’ Greer, Jake and the Infernal Machine, Clara Karen Schultz, a 21-year Northwest flight attendant and rank-and-file activist in clear discrimination against the union.” Hendricks, Bill Bumpus and Ryan Harvey Minneapolis, condemns the assaults from the company and its allies in government The Korean Teachers Union (Incheon performed, and speakers spoke about the which protect the company while ignoring the workers. “Northwest overreached in Working Group) of the KCTU also con- Starbucks campaign between sets. their quest for concessions, even while NWA’s profits are in an upswing. Solvency may demned the firings, expressing unequivocal Growing numbers of union locals have matter in the 1113 [bankruptcy] process, but ignored was the need for the solvency of support for the “IWW Starbucks Workers added their voices to the demand that Star- American families.” Union’s [right] to represent and defend the bucks reinstate the fired workers, including The judge asked both sides to report on whether further talks would be “fruitful.” rights of all Starbucks employees.” SEIU Local 707, representing 6,500 public Interim AFA-NWA Master Executive Council president Mollie Reiley responded, “We IWW members have demonstrated out- sector workers of Sonoma and Mendocino remain committed to reaching a negotiated agreement with the company regardless of side Starbucks outlets in Bradford, Leicester Counties in California; Amalgamated Lithog- the hurdles along the way. However, at this time it appears that the company is more and Manchester, England, and Edinburgh, raphers of America Local One, a Teamsters focused on their legal strategy than meaningful discussions. Until the time comes when Scotland. IWW members and supporters affiliate in New York City; and United Auto they are willing to sit down and negotiate a fair contract, it is necessary that we level the picketed the East McMillan Starbucks in Workers Local 2334, which represents sanita- playing field and exercising our right to strike does just that.” Cincinnati August 19, distributing hun- tion chemists in Detroit. Other organizations Unlike most private sector workers in the United States, airline employees are covered dreds of leaflets to alert customers to Star- calling on members to boycott Starbucks until by the Railway Labor Act, not the National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act). The RLA bucks’ union-busting. In Washington, D.C., continued on page 5 was passed to punish militant rail unions. Airline management later was successful in getting their industry included under it as well. In most regards the RLA is even more pro-employer than the NLRA. For example, under the RLA unions have to ask permis- Making work safer with direct action sion from the government to strike. In organizing drives, the unit is automatically every by DA N ie L G ross & J oe T esso N E bucks management was prepared for the sur- employee in the that craft throughout the country, and every person not voting is counted For years, baristas at the Logan Square prise action. In an unprecedented move, the as a vote against the union. Starbucks in Chicago requested a steplad- store manager was joined at the store meeting However there is one advantage: intermittent strikes are permitted, unlike under der. Baristas constantly strained muscles and by the district manager, regional director and the NLRA. AFA created a trademarked strategy called CHAOS – Creating Havoc Around risked serious falls to do their job without “partner” resources manager to disparage the Our System. It involves announcing that the union will strike, but only certain flights one. Workers would hoist themselves up on union and intimidate workers. and without warning. Before a single flight has been grounded, business travelers – the shelves to reach heavy boxes of coffee beans Managers proceeded to disparage unions source of most income – start flying on other carriers. This has the advantage of cost- stacked out of reach. Toilet paper and other in general and the IWW in particular. One ing the company a lot of money without taking everyone out and draining the union’s supplies were locked in a box suspended near went so far as to say the union didn’t exist, as strike coffers. the ceiling in the store’s bathroom. if the red IWW membership cards in baristas’ The first time the strategy was used, it was very successful at Alaska Airlines in Workers were forced to balance them- pockets were figments of their imagination. 1993. Just the threat of CHAOS action led to contract improvements at United and US selves on the toilet bowl and stand on tiptoes The bosses also handed out the preamble to Airways a few years later. However, all this was before 9/11 and the wave of airlines using to maneuver the key into the lock and remove the IWW constitution thinking it would scare bankruptcy as a strategy to break union contracts and force concessions. the needed bathroom products. Workers did off workers. The preamble outlines a humane Under the RLA, it is unclear whether unions have the legal right to strike when the a similar balancing act standing on cafe tables society where workers live in harmony with contract is abrogated by the courts. That issue has never been tested. The Northwest flight to clean the ceiling and change light bulbs. the Earth and are free from oppression – a attendants and their union, the Association of Flight At- Northwest: continued page 8 In addition to the clear health risks society unlike the one Starbucks inhabits stemming from musculo-skeletal strain and where its Chairman Howard Schultz is worth the possibility of serious falls, baristas were close to a billion dollars and Chicago baristas East End Food Co-op Workers Defeated 3 Debating Palestine Solidarity 4 downright annoyed and outraged that Star- start at $7.50 per hour with no guaranteed Oct. 24 is Take Back Your Time Day 9 Reclaiming Workers’ Culture 10 bucks, a $23 billion company and the world’s number of work hours each week. largest coffee chain, refused to purchase a Wobblies are known for good humor in Industrial Worker Periodicals Postage simple stepladder that workers needed. An- the struggle for industrial freedom. But one PO Box 13476 PAID noyed but not surprised. After years of insult thing the IWW doesn’t joke around about Philadelphia, PA 19101 Philadelphia, PA and injury on safety and many other issues, is health and safety. You only get one body ISSN 0019-8870 and additional workers at Logan Square decided to join the and one mind in this life, and the boss sure mailing offices IWW Starbucks Workers Union. isn’t going to take care of you. After years of ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED The night of April 29, baristas at the needless strain and balancing acts because Logan Square Starbucks chose a store meet- the coffee giant was too cheap to buy a simple ing to declare that they had joined the union stepladder, baristas found themselves in a and present their demands for a living wage, new workplace dynamic. Instead of individu- secure work hours, reinstatement of the New als requesting a ladder and being denied again York City baristas illegally fired for union and again, the workers could fight union. activity, respect for the right to organize, and Direct Action entails doing what it takes health and safety improvements including the to make things right.
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