starbucks Fires Staff For Joining Unions: Anarchists Protest

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release

Tuesday July 01, 2008 16:34

by Ois - WSM

Union members and social activists are gearing up for what may be the largest, global coordinated action against starbucks ever.

On Saturday July 5th anarchists, trade-union members and social activists in Dublin, Belfast and around the world will be leafleting and protesting against the anti-union pratices of starbucks. In Dublin a protest will be held at the starbucks on Dame St. at 2pm. Earlier on sturday in Belfast two simultaneous protests will be held at the starbucks at 90 Botanic Avenue and Cornmarket. In England, Europe, Canada, the USA and Latin America simultaneous protests will be held.

Starbucks Union CNT

starbucks in the USA sacked a barista active in the IWW starbucks Workers Union as part of its ongoing offensive against employees pushing for a better wage and regular working hours. Cole Dorsey was fired after two years of service while he was coordinating a union recruitment drive at starbucks stores in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In Spain, a woman named Monica was fired in April from a starbucks in Seville for her activity on behalf of the Confederacion Nacional de Trabajadores (CNT-AIT).

Both unions have called for international solidarity actions on July 5th.

Most coffee shop workers are unorganised. Wages and conditions may vary from company to company and from shop to shop, but whatever the set up, baristas are all subject to the whims of company strategies that seek to reap maximum profits from the labour of workers, while generally paying poor wages to those who make the profits possible.

Commenting Alan Mac Simoin of the anarchist Workers Solidarity Movement said "starbucks is a $15 billion company with over 7,500 locations around the world, company chairman Howard Schultz is worth close to a billion dollars. The bosses want to see even more money flow into their own pockets, that’s why they don’t want workers coming together in unions. Where workers have unionised in sufficient numbers there have been gains in wages and working conditions, like more secure work hours and across-the-board wage increases: almost 25% for many workers in New York City for example.".

Anthony Geoghan National Secretary of the Workers Solidarity Movement said "We are here to let management know that union busting anywhere will be met with international workers’ solidarity. We are also here to show starbucks workers who decide to join a union that they have friends who will stand by them.

"starbucks management in the USA, Spain and Britain are trying hard to scare their workers away from joining unions. And you know why... because with a union you'll get better treatment than you do without one. No matter how good the job is, united you can do better!"