FIVE STARBUCKS WORKERS SACKED FOR FORMING A UNION
For almost 3 years workers in Starbucks have been organising in their franchises in the USA. Starbucks have responded by waging a war of intimidation against the unionising workers. Already 5 employees have lost their jobs – Joseph Agins, Charles Fostrom, Evan Winterscheidt, Daniel Gross (Founder of the Starbucks Union) and Isis Saenz. This is a warning shot towards anyone attempting to improve work conditions. However, Starbucks workers have fought back: winning 2 workers their jobs back and more than $2000 in lost earnings. In New York City, workers have gained a 25% wage increase in just over 2 years, with similar raises in other areas they have organised.
“PLEASE DRINK SOMEWHERE ELSE TODAY”
We are asking the public to drink their coffee somewhere else, to protest Starbucks unfair practises. We also offer our support and assistance to any Starbucks barista considering organising his or her workplace. Regular pickets will be held at various franchises throughout South London to highlight Starbucks’ attacks on its workers, and to show solidarity with the 5 sacked workers in the USA.
WHY ORGANISE AT WORK?
Almost none of us really want to go to work in the morning. We do anyway because the rent and bills need paying, and we want money for ourselves (and our families), and maybe even a little bit for a social life! Sometimes however, things at your job can really get to be too much. The pay’s too low, the workload’s too tiring and management is always on your back. For many people, the immediate solution would be to find another job – only to find it’s exactly the same.
But there is another option. Together, we can fight to make our working lives more bearable. Coffee baristas in the States did just that, working together to form the Starbucks Workers Union (SWU) together with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). Thus far they’ve organised 6 franchises in New York City alone, and Starbucks Union members exert influence in many other Starbucks outlets.
There are plenty of ways in which we can better our working lives. It could be as basic as covering for a workmate or as extreme as going on strike for better pay or hours. What’s important is that we stick together: working collectively for stuff that all of us want.
VICTORY IN THE USA, ORGANISING IN THE UK
The Starbucks Workers Union won a major victory over unfair labour practices, in a conflict between the world's largest coffee chain and the baristas who work there. Faced with the prospect of having its widespread union-busting campaign exposed in a public hearing, Starbucks agreed to remedy many of the violations committed against workers who have organised a union. Workers from Leicester in this country recently followed suit and created Baristas United, which is open to employees of any coffee shop.
ELSEWHERE…
The Starbucks Workers Union is calling for Starbucks to recognize Ethiopia’s development of premium coffee varieties. If the rights to names such as Sidamo, Harar and Yirgacheffe were recognized, coffee farmers in Ethiopia would get almost £50 million extra per year. see www.starbucksunion.org
SOLIDARITY
Only by sticking together can we improve our lives. The fired Starbucks workers sought to do that, and Starbucks are attempting to punish them for this. This cannot just be forgotten, and we must all stand together, and let Starbucks know they cannot get away with this. If you are interested in trying to organise, please speak to one of the people handing out these leaflets for information or a copy of our leaflet “Stuff your Boss doesn’t want you to know”.

This information produced on a leaflet by South London Solidarity Federation –
contact:  southlondonsf@solfed.org.uk

For further information, take a look at:
www.solfed.org.uk ; www.starbucksunion.org ; www.iww.org.uk ; www.baristasunited.org.uk