IWW Starbucks Workers Union Update

IWW Starbucks Workers Union Update and Call-In Day
Aug. 1

Posted July 18, 2005

May 24, 2005- Starbucks terminates IWW member Sarah
Bender, a worker at the 17th St. and 1st Ave. store in
Manhattan, for her union activity. Fellow Worker
Bender's termination marks the first time since the
founding of the Starbucks Workers Union over a year
ago that the company has fired a worker purely for
union organizing. Starbucks learned that Sarah was
associated with the Starbucks Workers Union after she
hosted a party attended by Union members. Since then,
the company has arbitrarily disciplined her to build a
phony case for firing her. The pretext for her
termination was that she allegedly came out six
dollars short on her cash register. On the day in
question FW Bender counted the money in her till,
determined she had the correct amount, and placed the
money in a sealed plastic bag. She then deposited the
bag into the store safe. Sarah's store manager, Noura
Glenn, subsequently unsealed the bag and falsely
claimed there was a shortage. Please lend a hand in
the national Call-In Day Against Starbucks on Monday
August 1 to demand Sarah Bender's reinstatement. The
details are at the end of this update.

May 28, 2005- A group of workers at the Starbucks
Store on 9th St. and 2nd Ave. serve their bosses with
a declaration of Union membership! The baristas and
shift supervisors reiterated the demand of the
Starbucks Workers Union for a guaranteed minimum
number of hours scheduled each week. Currently,
workers have no idea how many or how few hours of work
they will receive each week. Without knowing how much
income one will take in every month, paying for life's
necessities becomes all too precarious. 9th and 2nd
workers also joined the Starbucks Workers Union in
demanding Sarah Bender's reinstatement and a cessation
of Starbucks' fierce anti-union campaign. Starbucks
managers instigated the NYPD to write up disorderly
conduct tickets to three Wobblies and a community ally
who were part of a support effort outside the store. A
judge threw out the charges.

June 4, 2005- 60 workers and community members
converged on the 17th and 1st Starbucks to protest the
firing of Sarah Bender. The crowd was energized and
this was just the beginning of the penalty Starbucks
will incur for firing FW Bender. NBC covered the event
with interviews from Sarah Bender and Staten Island
native Pete Montalbano, a Wobbly barista at the 9th
and 2nd store.

June 15, 2005- The NLRB trial on Starbucks' anti-union
threats, bribes, and surveillance scheduled for this
date was postponed by the Board to investigate the
firing of Sarah Bender and discrimination against
Anthony Polanco. The Union objected to the delay
arguing that separate trials could be held as
Starbucks continued to break the law in its attempt to
stop workers from standing together for a better life
on the job.

June 18, 2005- New York Times delivery workers
respected the IWW picket line at the 9th and 2nd
store. Starbucks management became visibly enraged. No
newspapers were delivered that day. Union worker Pete
Montalbano got sent home early for talking union in
front of customers prompting an ad-hoc grievance
committee to confront the boss. The picket was
generally well received by would-be patrons and stores
sales took a definite hit. Leafleting actions are
ongoing with thousands of flyers already handed out to
community members and customers.

June 25, 2005- A contingent of IWW members at
Starbucks in NYC celebrated the 100th anniversary of
the Industrial Workers of the World in Chicago!
Starbucks Workers Union members were so pleased to
learn more about all the profound work taking place
across the One Big Union. We'd like to thank everyone
for the pledges of solidarity to the IWW campaign at
Starbucks and for the generous donations to the Sarah
Bender Defense Fund.

July 6, 2005- Fired Starbucks Wobbly Sarah Bender
begins working at Vox Pop coffee shop in Brooklyn. Vox
Pop is IWW-organized and serves only fair trade
coffee. Sarah's resolve to combat Starbucks and get
her job back is undiminished.

July 17, 2005- 25 unionists and community supporters
converge on Starbucks outlets around the city to talk
to employees about their right to join the Union.
After the flying squads, participants reunited for a
Labor-Community picnic to energize support for Sarah
Bender.

July 17, 2005- Faced with increasing criticism from
the IWW over its relentless anti-union campaign,
Starbucks spends thousands on a full-page ad in the
Sunday New York Times claiming it’s a socially
responsible company.

Recent Media:

Philly Indymedia- "NYC Starbucks Workers vs.
Anti-union Policies"
http://www.starbucksunion.org/node/215

Workers Independent News Service- "Starbucks New York
Worker Says She was Fired for Union Activity"
http://www.starbucksunion.org/node/192

Business Week- "Labor Pains: A Bitter Aroma at
Starbuck's" http://www.starbucksunion.org/node/191

New York Magazine- "A Union Revolution is Brewing at
Starbucks"
http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/features/12060/index.html

Action Steps:

CALL-IN DAY TO STARBUCKS NYC DIRECTOR MONDAY AUGUST 1

We must impose a material cost on Starbucks for
finally stooping to the level of firing a worker for
organizing activity.

On Monday August 1, call Starbucks NYC Regional
Director Alex Perez expressing your disgust that he
fired Sarah Bender and demanding she be reinstated:

Phone: 212-613-1280 ext. 2202

Next, Starbucks will not be permitted to derail our
organizing with fear tactics! Therefore, it's critical
to continue to reach out to Starbucks workers
everywhere to let them know about the Starbucks
Workers Union. Materials, including the new 'Worker
Support Team' flyer, are available to help at:
http://www.starbucksunion.org/action/materials/image/posters

Finally, FW Bender is coordinating her own defense and
is in serious need of financial assistance for
campaign expenses. Stand with Sarah as she refuses to
get swept under the rug by Chairman Howard Schultz,
one of America's leading corporate fraudsters. Make a
contribution and/or ask your local union branch to do
the same. The Bay Area IWW General Membership Branch
has kicked things off with a generous contribution.
Checks can be made out to the Starbucks Workers Union
and sent to:

Sarah Bender
260 Irving Ave. #3L
Brooklyn, NY 11237

Campaign updates will continue to be available at:
http://www.starbucksunion.org