Victory for IWW Barista Against Pregnancy Discrimination at Starbucks

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Starbucksunion.org

Victory for IWW Barista Against Pregnancy Discrimination at Starbucks!
Submitted by SWU on Wed, 05/30/2007 - 12:25am.

May 30, 2007

Friends of the Starbucks Workers Union:

Bowing to grassroots pressure from the Industrial Workers of the World and its allies, Starbucks has notified barista Christina Rosevear that it has decided not to fire her. Christina faced imminent termination five days ago at a scheduled meeting with her store manager who warned that she had abandoned her job after she took doctor-ordered leave for a back ailment related to her pregnancy. The manager had also been cutting Christina's hours in retaliation for taking time off to deal with severe morning sickness.

Tired of distressed sleepless nights and the fear of being fired, Christina decided to join the IWW Starbucks Workers Union and fight back for herself, her nineteen-month old daughter, and her future child. You responded to her call for solidarity.

In just a few days, hundreds of you from across the United States and abroad contacted the company demanding that Christina not be fired. A Bay Area IWW team accompanied Christina to the meeting with her manager only to have it cancelled by a higher-up at Starbucks who admitted the company needed more time to make up its mind. Now the coffee giant has informed Christina that she's back on the work schedule and won't be fired!

Standing together, working people in just a few days have moved a $21 billion multinational corporation to do the right thing. Not only have you won a victory for Christina Rosevear and her family but also no doubt Starbucks will think twice before threatening a barista over a pregnancy in the future. Every working person, no matter the issue on the job, should take heart that by uniting we can assert our dignity at work and in society. The SWU dedicates this victory to all the mothers out there- thank you for the grace you bring to this world and for your contributions in the workplace.

While we celebrate averting Christina's termination, the fight is not over. Starbucks has still not paid Christina for the damages she incurred because of its discriminatory conduct. Please stay connected with this effort as it continues by signing up for the SWU E-mail Action Network at StarbucksUnion.org. Thank you for marching with us to justice and please consider bringing the IWW to your workplace. Together we win.

StarbucksUnion.org


Read more: http://www.starbucksunion.org/node/1697

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This story is not copyrighted and may be shared freely. I posted the story about what was happening a few days ago and several DUers sent emails. Thank you.

[SpiralHawk]

1. "I'll have a cup of justice, puh-lease." - American workers

eom

[fudge stripe cookays]

2. I'm curious to know if the manager was a man....

If so, it would be about right. Anyone who has EVER had to deal with morning sickness would never have tried to fire someone or retaliate against someone who is suffering through it. What an asshole.

Good on Christina.

[LostinVA]

3. Good, she deserved it, and Starbucks really sullied therough rep with this

[JNelson6563]

4. If it's anything like the "back ailment"

I had when I was pregnant this woman is in great physical discomfort. I also had a toddler during my second pregnancy and between carrying that child when it had to be done and the weight from being pregnant something gave out in my very lower back. Some kind of pinch, very sharp and any kind of movement could result in very sharp pains. The kind that make you put your hand to it and cry out involuntarily.

So glad to read of her keeping her job and a Great Big SHAME on Starbucks for bullying her in the first place. Bastards.

Julie

[MrPrax]

5. K & R !!

[High Plains]

6. Long live the Wobblies! My kind of union.