You may have heard a lot about Starbucks lately. Baristas in Chile, who make about $2.50 per hour, recently went on strike because the company refused to negotiate with them. While the strike is now over, the workers in Chile have promised to continue the fight in other ways.
Another group of workers at a company that supplies cups to Starbucks, Pactiv, is fighting against unacceptable cuts to their pay and benefits, and they need our help to put the heat on Starbucks! Starbucks... has ignored Pactiv's attack on its workers and turned a blind eye to the violation of it's own Supplier Code of Conduct, which states suppliers must demonstrate "a commitment to the welfare and economic improvement" of their employees. Workers at the Pactiv plant in Stockton, CA, represented by Local 83 of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers, are protesting outside of Starbucks corporate headquarters on November 25th, and have called for a global day of action to take place at the same time.
IWW Starbucks Workers Union fully supports and endorses this day of action, and call on all IWW branches, members, and allies able to do so to head to the busiest Starbucks location near you on the 25th and let the company know that their union-busting will not be tolerated, and that they are responsible for the outrageous anti-worker behavior of their suppliers.
Pactiv is not the only Starbucks supplier attacking its workers. Employees at the Maximus Coffee plant in Houston, Texas are currently on strike after their bosses attempted to force a 25-50% pay cut with corresponding cuts in benefits on them. Starbucks is one of the retailers that Maximus roasts, packages, and processes coffee beans for. Just as they have with Pactiv, Starbucks has remained silent about this blatant violation of its own "ethical" policies.
Meanwhile, the IWW Starbucks Workers Union continues to fight for better wages, better conditions, and respect at work for the company's tens of thousands of baristas in the U.S. Our organizers continue to win victories in their workplaces through direct action. Many SWU organizers have been illegally fired since our union was founded in 2004, so we know all too well what union-busting feels like.
The bottom line is, we need your help to make this day of action a success. With enough participation from IWW branches and allies, we can make Starbucks worry about their squeaky-clean public image enough to pressure Pactiv into treating its workers fairly. A successful wave of actions around the country and the world will remind Starbucks that we are monitoring their activities, and that union-busting, anti-worker behavior will not be tolerated from them or their suppliers. It can also inform Starbucks workers that the IWW Starbucks Workers Union exists and can help them fight for better conditions, which could assist our organizing efforts greatly. Where we decide to take action, please take a moment to talk to the workers in the Starbucks, explain what the action is all about and that we are on their side.
We will be leafleting, displaying banners and signs, perhaps chanting, and speaking with the public about the working conditions and low-pay of Starbucks employees. Our target location will be at the Starbucks in City Heights in the Albertson's plaza on Monday, November 25th between 6:30pm-7:30pm. The address is 4421 University Ave., San Diego, CA 92105.
Here is the link the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/627932983920303/ Please reserve if you can!
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