IWW wins Starbucks case

[BattleOfTheCowshed]

http://www.thevillager.com/villager_150/iw...tstarbucks.html (http://www.thevillager.com/villager_150/iwwgrindsoutstarbucks.html)
http://www.iww.org/ (2nd article down)

The IWW won against Starbucks in their case before the National Labor Relations Board. Starbucks has re-hired the workers it fired for trying to unionize, has removed its rules against sharing of union literature, and removed its ban on union pins. I don't think the IWW has fully managed to unionize the workplaces, but this is still a victory!

[Scars]

For the actual results of the case, I couldn't really give a shit. These people are young, chances are in a few years they won't be working at Star Bucks anyway and it's likely that they will be replaced by non-IWW (or other union, even though part from the IWW pretty much every union in the states is a capitalist slave) and the rulings will be irrelivant.

What IS important is that it gains the IWW credibility. A union with around 2000 members world-wide not only stood up to a massive multi-national corporation, but it beat them too. Hopefully it'll help attract more members and help disprove the notion that teh IWW ceased to matter in after WWII.

[BattleOfTheCowshed]

For the actual results of the case, I couldn't really give a shit. These people are young, chances are in a few years they won't be working at Star Bucks anyway and it's likely that they will be replaced by non-IWW (or other union, even though part from the IWW pretty much every union in the states is a capitalist slave) and the rulings will be irrelivant.

Well the rulings will likely stand whether or not the workers present there move on or not, so unionization should remain a possibility. And of course hopefully the IWW will be around to unionize any new Starbucks employees (and radicalize them? :)) that may come.


What IS important is that it gains the IWW credibility. A union with around 2000 members world-wide not only stood up to a massive multi-national corporation, but it beat them too. Hopefully it'll help attract more members and help disprove the notion that teh IWW ceased to matter in after WWII.

Agreed 100%! I've also recently heard about the IWW unionizing some wharehouse workers in NYC or something similar. Hopefully this is a renaissance for the IWW!

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

EZ Supply workers in New York vote to unionize with IWW
On February 9, workers at E-Z Supply Corporation, a wholesale distributor of restaurant supplies and foodstuffs in Queens, New York, U.S. voted to unionize with the Industrial Workers of the World.

IWW members working at the shop worked hard to unionize their workplace, and were extremely happy about the outcome of the vote.

Workers of two shops in New York’s foodstuff industry have unionized with the IWW, and the union says there are many more to come.

http://freepeoplesmovement.org/fp21workers.html

[Entrails Konfetti]

Is the Star Bucks IWW Union only in that part of New York, and nowhere else in that nation?

I need to get a job, and a Star Bucks is being built close by.

[BattleOfTheCowshed]

Originally posted by EL [email protected] 21 2006, 04:18 PM
Is the Star Bucks IWW Union only in that part of New York, and nowhere else in that nation?

I need to get a job, and a Star Bucks is being built close by.
It probably is, the IWW isnt that big yet. You could still try to unionize a Starbucks wherever you live. Starbucks had to repeal its anti-union laws nationwide I believe.

[sabotabby]

Originally posted by EL [email protected] 21 2006, 04:18 PM
Is the Star Bucks IWW Union only in that part of New York, and nowhere else in that nation?

I need to get a job, and a Star Bucks is being built close by.
The slippery nature of franchises like Starbucks means that one can only organize them store by store—part of the reason why only the IWW will bother trying to unionize them. As far as I know, there are three unionized Starbucks in New York, two of which have legal recognition. But of course, we all hope that this campaign spreads!

For more info: http://www.starbucksunion.org/

[Scars]

However it should be noted that the IWW is an member-run organisation that actively encourages self-organisation and autonomy. So if you agree with their principles and wish to become a member, or are already a member, there's no reason why you can't get a job at said starbucks (or McDonalds, or Burger King, or Larry's Pie and Smoke Shop- whatever) and start trying to organise it yourself.

As for the IWW's size, yes, we're definately small. I'd say there would only be about 1500-2000 members in the whole of the US, but on a practical level you can be part of multiple unions (i.e. you can be a member of the IWW and a member of a bourgeois trade union if the IWW is still weak in your area etc, however you cannot hold any positions within that union) and the only way that the IWW will grow and become as powerful as it once was (over ten thousand members in the US alone) is if people start who agree with their principles join and start to organise their places of work.

The IWW isn't about branch meetings and silly resolutions, it's about destroying capitalism one workplace at a time.

[Janus]

Yes, it's quite exciting. Some of the IWW members in my town were telling me about this. It's definitely not surprising how antagonistic certain businesses are to unions.

[thebigeyeballinthesky]

I know this sounds like a totally stupid question, but how does one go about starting a union?

(I'm working at Michael's right now and it totally blows. They're VERY anti-union, very anti-benefits.)

[BattleOfTheCowshed]

Thats not a stupid question at all, I would easily venture out and say the majority of us haven't started our own unions (yet!) lol. Some workplaces fire you if you try to unionize, so you should research that if possible? Maybe some one here knows more about Michael's in particular. First of all you would need the support of the majority of your co-workers, so talking to them about unionizing and why you should do it etc. would probably be first. After that I know that you would probably have to have a workplace vote over unionization (voting on whether or not to unionize, what union is going to represent you, etc.) Exactly how this voting process is overseen or what not, I'm not exactly sure. This is actually a GREAT question, could someone from the IWW impart some more knowledge?

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

How to organize (http://www.iww.org/en/organize)

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Fuck I tripple posted on accident

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

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