#58 July/August 2002
The Washington Free Press Washington's Independent Journal of News, Ideas & Culture
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Fights Censorship, Gets Scholarship
Poulsbo student wins national award for civil-liberties activism
from Washington ACLU

Can We Afford So Many Americans?
by Dr. Norman Myers

AIDS, Hunger, Race, Income
Johannesburg conference deciding crucial issues
by Renee Kjartan

Was There Prior Knowledge of the 9/11 Attacks?
Media survey
by Rodger Herbst

Castro Replies to Bush Hysteria

Cloaks and Daggers
The "AFL-CIA" and the Venezuelan coup
By Jamie Newman and Charles Walker

Either Way, Transportation is Taxing
opinion by John C. Flavin

Exposures, Failures Hurt Frankenfood Industry
Despite complicity of the mainstream press
by Ronnie Cummins, Organic Consumers Association

Fifteen Days in Palestine
by Jacob A. Mundy

Illegal Rights
Earning $2 per hour for seven years
by Domenico Maceri

Profound Disconnection
US plan on global warming: learn to live with it
opinion by Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D.

AUSTRALIA WON'T RATIFY KYOTO

JAPAN RATIFIES KYOTO PROTOCOL

EUROPEAN UNION RATIFIES KYOTO PROTOCOL ON CLIMATE CHANGE

EVEREST GLACIER MELTING

Rising Sea Level Forces island Evacuation

No Compensation or Disability for Injured Boeing Worker
personal account by Brian F. Teitzel

MONORAIL GETTING CLOSER

God Bless the American Family Vehicle!
by Glenn Reed

Putting the Horse Before the Cart
BusHealth follows legal strategy to improve compensation for job-related ailments
by Jamie Newman

REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PACKAGE: MORE CARS AND HIGHWAYS, NOT ENOUGH PUBLIC TRANSIT

Seattle Schools Win Ad Slam Award
School board president receives $5000 prize
from Citizens' Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools

Canadian Starbucks UnStrike for Justice
from the Canadian Auto Workers

The US Role in the Venezuelan Coup
by Bill Vann

Canadian Starbucks UnStrike for Justice

from the Canadian Auto Workers

UnStriking Starbucks workers want and need your solidarity and assistance to help "Send Starbucks A Message." On May 13, 2002, 140 Starbucks baristas and shift supervisors at 10 Starbucks outlets in Vancouver, BC, and members of the Canadian Auto Workers began our CAW Starbucks UnStrike for Justice and Dignity.

The company has shown itself to be an anti-union employer despite its veil of social responsibility. It is refusing to bargain on even a single union proposal and is seeking to effectively eliminate the seniority provisions we have achieved in the first two collective agreements. Wage improvements we have achieved in previous agreements have immediately been given to all non-union stores in B.C. Management tells workers that the only difference between union and non-union stores is that union members pay unions dues, misinforming non-union workers about such union benefits as:

  • Seniority as a key factor in scheduling hours of work.
  • Guaranteed overtime provisions
  • Entitlement to be scheduled for two consecutive days off rather than split days off;
  • Effective grievance procedures.

What the heck is our UnStrike all about?

It is a legal strike method under BC labour law. It is designed to attack Starbucks corporate image as well as exercise economic pressure on the world's largest coffee corporation.

During this period our members will continue to work while engaging in activities at work that would not normally be tolerated by the huge Starbucks Corporation, such as disregarding corporate dress code, displaying tattoos and piercings, dramatic hair colors and more. Members will be handing leaflets to customers as they serve them asking fair-minded people to "Send Starbucks A Message." Off the job, our members will be leafleting and using the internet to help spread our campaign and approaching Starbucks baristas and shift supervisors at non-union outlets to join the Union and help build a stronger voice for all Starbucks employees.

Starbucks' purpose is clear: to undermine the union's efforts to improve the lives of Starbucks employees in order to maintain low wages and exceptionally high profits.

The CAW's one dozen stores are a beachhead of unionization. With annual sales projected to break $3 billion, Starbucks has increased its projected rate of expansion to add at least 1,200 new stores over the next year - more than 3 new stores every day of every week. Despite troubles elsewhere in the global economy Starbucks' annual rate of return is a whopping 31.5 percent!

Send Starbucks A Message

Help send Starbucks a message. Please write Howard Schultz, Starbucks Chairman and Chief Global Strategist, Starbucks Corporation, 2401 Utah Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134, or email hschultz@starbucks.com and tell him you expect Starbucks to bargain honestly for a fair collective agreement for CAW Starbucks UnStrikers. Please copy our CAW Starbucks UnStrikers at Starbucks@caw.ca. Our CAW National Union website www.caw.ca has a lot information on our CAW Starbucks UnStrike for Justice and Dignity. Check it out!


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