IWW Starbucks Workers Solidarity
Norwich Anarchists fully support the union activities of the IWW Starbucks Workers in America.
On Monday 16th October 2006 we conducted a solidarity demonstration. This consisted of us going into two different Starbucks stores in Norwich city Centre and informing staff of the activities of IWW members in American Starbucks stores and Starbucks' union busting activities.
In the first store we visited, we found the staff were quite receptive to our ideas and happily took the leaflets that we had designed. They wouldn't let us leave any of the IWW's "Fact Sheet for Guests" for the customers to read, because it was against store policy.
In the second Starbucks store we approached one of the members of staff, who turned out to be the manager. Nevertheless, after some convincing he agreed to distribute our leaflets to the rest of the staff (we made him do it right then and there in front of us). Once again the staff seemed to appreciate our leaflets and immediately gathered around in a circle to discuss them, although I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying.
To learn more about the struggle of Starbucks workers or baristas in general, please visit the union website at www.starbucksunion.org or visit the Baristas United website (part of the British section of the IWW) at www.Baristasunited.org.uk.
One of our members conducted an interview with IWW Starbucks Workers Union organiser Daniel Gross, which can be found here.