Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2004 2:15:52 GMT -5
During the week of the Republican Convention, New York City arrested over 1,800 protestors who dared to believe that the First Amendment is for real; that’s three times as many arrests as Chicago had back in ’68. The courts were overwhelmed, Bloomberg set up a “Guantanamo on the Hudson”, and eventually a judge had to fine the city hundreds of thousands of dollars just to ensure the right of habeas corpus. At times it seemed like we were living in the shadow of a dictatorship.
Tens of millions of people watched and listened to Zel Miller, the GOP, and Bush foam at the mouth about the ever lasting freedom of America while defending the slaughter of tens of thousands across the globe. Simultaneously the real America was out in the streets where hundreds of thousands of people were singing about, marching for, and demanding a more humane world. Among the numerous protests took place in the backdrop of the convention was a small demonstration at a Starbucks on the corner of 36th and Madison, which went by relatively unnoticed but was undoubtedly one of the most important to occur.
Unfortunately, many people are not aware of the story of the heroic Starbucks workers of 36th and Madison who have voted to align themselves with the Industrial Workers of the World. If they are successful in their struggle they will be the first unionized Starbucks workers in America. Organizing drives can be contagious and Starbucks is well aware that after this one store on 36th and Madison, there are 4,499 other stores that might also go union. Starbucks will do almost anything to try and derail this process. But, on the other side, we can do a lot to help them; for more information on the campaign you can read Derek Seidman’s excellent article “Starbucks Workers Get Organized” (http://www.counterpunch.org/seidman08262004.html).
Although their numbers are small these workers quickly drew the attention of both the Bush administration and Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz (2003 income: $17 million). The National Labor Relations Board voted 3-2 to hear the appeal of Starbucks that one store should not have the right to go union; instead an entire district must go union at once. This flies in the face of decades of established labor law but what does that matter? Instead of rolling over, the Baristas at the 36th Street store have decided to turn to direct action to win union recognition.
www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=19&ItemID=6189