Ft. Worth Starbucks Joins The One Big Union (Women Wobblies Take On The Coffee Giant–And Win!)

[Omaha Steve]

Enjoy.

http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=2010starbucks-ftworth

Ft. Worth Starbucks Joins The One Big Union
Group Of Women Wobblies Take On The Coffee Giant–And Win!

Industrial Worker - March 2010

By Liberte Locke

On Dec. 18, 2009, four brave women baristas of the 8th & Rosedale Starbucks in Ft. Worth, Texas, declared their membership with the IWW Starbucks Workers Union (SWU).

It was exactly one week before Christmas, which is Starbucks' busiest time of year. More importantly, the store manager, Lindsay Karsh, had declared it Partner (Employee) Appreciation Day. In past years, Partner Appreciation Day was when the manager would use company money to purchase pizza for all the workers as a sort of holiday gift right before Christmas. This year, on top of cutting hours, delaying raises, forcing baristas to work with H1N1 (“swine flu”), and disrespecting workers, the store manager decided to save the store money and made the day a potluck. Workers—who are struggling to survive and are making just above minimum wage—were forced to buy their own food in order to participate. The entire store was furious and not a single worker participated in the potluck.

At 10:00 a.m. on Partner Appreciation Day, local Wobblies parked a car at the order screen of the drive-thru for the 8th & Rosedale Starbucks and exited the car. They taped a poster to the back window that read "Honk If You Want Baristas to Have a First Aid Kit!" A supporter stood closer to the front of the drive-thru with another sign, this one saying, "Honk if You Want Baristas to Make a Living Wage!"

Once the drive-thru was successfully shut down, union baristas Bree Bailey, Michelle Cahill and Casey Keeling entered the store with other Wobblies and supporters, including myself. Immediately, customers were given small fliers that simply declared, "This Starbucks Just Went Union!" while baristas working the floor were given pizza as a gift from the IWW. The pizzas came in fully decorated pizza boxes mostly painted red and black with the IWW globe. One box said, "In the Union, Baristas Are Appreciated!” and another box was designed to be a play on Starbucks Christmas decorations.

Somehow, Karsh and district manager Lisa Noble didn't realize what was happening until the women and I waited patiently in line, as if to order a drink, to speak to Karsh. Once we got to the front of the line, we were face to face with Karsh, who had a very tense smile stretched across her face. FW Casey handed Karsh their demand letter while FW Michelle stated that they were happy to announce they had joined the international Starbucks Workers Union. While Michelle was speaking to Karsh and Noble, it was clear in that instant that power had changed hands—and it became too much to bear for the startled managers.

Seeking a distraction from having to hear their employees’ concerns, the managers started to tell Steven Morrow, the Panther City IWW delegate who was filming the action, to stop videotaping. Starbucks, always concerned with their public image, hates it when we film workers engage in concerted activities. Knowing our rights, FW Steven continued filming. That issue settled, Karsh tried another distraction by straining over the pastry case to try taking orders from customers standing behind the Wobblie baristas. Little did she know that she was trying to take orders from other Wobblies that were there to support their Fellow Workers. After their list of demands was delivered, we all left the store and prepared for the press conference that we had planned for two hours later.

FULL story at link.