U.K. National Day of Action for Starbucks Employees on Aug. 18

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070814035408506

U.K. National Day of Action for Starbucks Employees on Aug. 18

Starbucks exploits its workers and the farmers who grow the coffee beans it uses. Worldwide it has over 12,000 stores and employs over 100,000 people. In Britain , it has over 500 stores employing 5,000 workers.

STARBUCKS COFFEE: BAD FOR WORKERS, BAD FOR FARMERS, BAD FOR YOU!

Starbucks exploits its workers and the farmers who grow the coffee beans it uses. Worldwide it has over 12,000 stores and employs over 100,000 people. In Britain , it has over 500 stores employing 5,000 workers.

Starbucks baristas in the UK are barely paid above the minimum wage and are subject to excessive working hours, unpaid overtime; work at a relentless pace, resulting in repetitive strain injuries for many workers. In the US , Starbucks has waged an illegal union-busting campaign resulting in firing of six baristas in New York City .

Coffee growers receive little more than 0.50p for a pound of coffee, which is then sold for £80.

Oxfam launched a campaign against Starbucks in October 2006 after it effectively blocked Ethiopia 's attempts to trademark its coffee beans in the United States .

The tide is turning against Starbucks. In the UK the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) is organising the Baristas United Union in several organising campaigns at Starbucks; in the US the IWW-Starbucks Workers Union is expanding across the country; in NZ hundreds of casual fast food workers, including Starbucks baristas organised into the UNITE union; workers are getting organised in France and Germany too.

18 August is a national day of action against Starbucks. The IWW, No Sweat and many organisations and supporters are holding protests in cities right around the UK . We are asking the public not to drink at Starbucks today and to show support for the workers and farmers trying to improve their lives and make a living wage.

Contact us to get involved in the campaign:

Industrial Workers of the World – UK
[e-mail]
http://www.iww.org.uk
http://www.baristasunited.org.uk/
PO Box 1158 Newcastle upon Tyne
NE99 4XL

No Sweat
[e-mail]
http://www.nosweat.org.uk
PO Box 36707 London SW9 8YA

http://www.starbucksunion.org/node/1852

[Greeby]

1. Pretty easy to do in a tea-drinking nation

Besides, I bloody hate coffee :P

[spag68]

2. I want to know

where that 200$ a pound coffee is. Really I support any union movement, but making statements like that hurt your credibility. I realize you are calculating a lb. of coffee in how many cups it makes.

[Omaha Steve]

3. The price is based on a pound of beans sold by the cup...

It is the retail price of an average of about 624 cups from a pound. How many cups of coffee at what price? When I buy at local independent coffee shops, I get a large turtle for around $4 US. See where this figure comes from now? It is espresso, chocolate, carmel, and whipped cream. Back out the other ingredients and you see what the consumer pays by cup for a pound of coffee. $200 is a fair quote.