As Starbucks baristas at Grand Rapids' Wealthy Street Starbucks announced their affiliation with the Starbucks Workers Union, baristas and allies across the United States held a series of demonstrations against Starbucks. In Chicago, baristas at a Starbucks store served their manager a declaration of union membership.
The Starbucks Workers Union has also announced that it will soon mount a legal challenge to Starbucks' unlawful union-busting campaign in Grand Rapids. According to a press release from the Union baristas in Grand Rapids:
... are filing a legal challenge against Starbucks' unlawful anti-union campaign. Starbucks, among other things, initiated a four-camera surveillance system with controversial security contractor Diebold to monitor barista organizing activity in Grand Rapids. The company will now have to muster a legal defense on two fronts as Starbucks is set to go to trial over its relentless New York City union-busting effort this summer. Six IWW baristas remain out of a job through retaliatory firings by Starbucks.
In addition, Media Mouse has received a copy of the letter delivered to the management at Wealthy Street store:
To the Starbucks Coffee Co. Management Team,
We, workers from Wealthy St. Starbucks, would like to publicly announce to you that we have formed a union together with our sisters and brothers of the Starbucks Workers Union, a part of the Industrial Workers of the World, so that we may collectively address our common concerns and interests.
As a consequence of this declaration, we are setting forth a list of demands that we have concluded to be essential to the needs of workers at Wealthy St., coffee growers that supply Starbucks beans worldwide, and all Starbucks workers if implemented company wide.
Guaranteed Minimum Hours
We demand an unconditional guaranteed minimum number of hours for any worker that requests it. We expect this demand to be implemented immediately while maintaining adequate staffing levels at all hours of the work day.
End Starbucks' Anti-Union Activities
We demand a non-negotiable end to Starbucks' anti-union, anti-worker behavior. This includes but is not limited to tactics such as increased surveillance, intimidation, increased number of one-on-one meetings with management, and hiring freezes. We expect full compliance with the March 7, 2006 United States Government National Labor Relations Board Settlement Agreement between Starbucks Coffee Company and the Industrial Workers of the World.
Pay Increase to a Living Wage
We demand that Starbucks Coffee Company reevaluate its entry level pay, adjust that level to fit living wage standards, and increase the wage of all workers to meet that level. A living wage in the city of Grand Rapids is no less that $8.50 per hour.
Reinstatement of Terminated Starbucks Workers Union Members
We demand that Starbucks Coffee Company reinstate all wrongfully fired I.W.W. Starbucks Workers Union members. These members include Daniel Gross, Evan Winterscheidt, Joe Agins Jr., Charles Fostrom, and Isis Sanez. We at Wealthy St. stand in solidarity with our fellow workers and demand that Starbucks offer each of the above employees the immediate and full reinstatement of their former jobs.
Guaranteed mandatory minimum hours, an end to all anti-union activity, a pay increase to a living wage, and reinstatement of fired union members; these are our unconditional demands. In addition to these demands, we wish to exercise our right to collectively bargain with our store, district and regional management so that we may address our workplace issues and articulate our grievances to management. These grievances include but are not limited to the following:
Store Meetings
Rarely is the opportunity given to baristas to speak out and take part in the decision making process in our store. We demand quarterly store meetings with management to discuss problems in an open and democratic forum.
Barista Representation at Shift Supervisor Meetings
In order to ensure that no attempts are made to pit shift supervisors against baristas or baristas against shift supervisors, we demand that baristas have the option to attend shift supervisor meetings. There is no reason that baristas should not be allowed to attend these meetings, other than to continue and reinforce a counter-productive hierarchy within our store.
Respect of Weingarten Rights
We demand that our Weingarten Rights be respected. We insist that management allow for workers to have a union representative present during any interview, meeting, or conversation that could result in disciplinary action. This includes but is not limited to performance reviews, times of write-ups or verbal warnings, and any type of "Coaching Conversation."
Fair Trade Prices for Coffee Growers
We find, to truly be a socially responsible company Starbucks should adhere to Fair Trade guidelines when purchasing its coffee. We find the plight of coffee growers directly related to the current situation facing baristas. We demand all Starbucks coffee be Fair Trade certified and anything less to be unacceptable.
Access to the Community Bulletin Board
We demand equal access to the community bulletin board. We demand access to post union meetings, and any other union related material that we find necessary.
Today we at Wealthy St. stand in solidarity with our fellow workers in New York City, in Rockville, Maryland, in Logans Square, Chicago, and around the globe.
We hope that you will respect our rights and respect our demands as we collectively act to improve our working conditions. We hope that, together, we may finally take an active role in structuring our work environment and determining the context of our daily lives.
Respectfully,
Starbucks Workers Union
I.W.W. IU640
