On the next Your Call, we discuss the latest worker uprisings across the country.
A tentative agreement between UPS and the Teamsters Union averted a historic strike of nearly 340,000 drivers, but some say the contract does not go far enough. UPS union employees will receive a $2.75 per hour raise this year, and a $7.50 per hour pay increase over the next five years. Part-time workers will start at $21 an hour, a boost from the previous $16.20, but less than the $25 that many were demanding.
According to several reports, Starbucks has engaged in a ruthless union busting campaign, firing over 230 union leaders across the country and shuttering union stores. The National Labor Relations Board has issued over 100 official complaints against the company, encompassing over 1,900 violations of federal labor law. More than 3,000 workers at 150 unionized Starbucks stores in the US went on strike in June.
Guests:
Greg Zajac, barista at Starbucks in San Francisco's Castro District and organizer with Starbucks Workers United
Maggie Carter, organizing member of Starbucks Workers United, broadcast journalism student at University of Tennessee, and barista at the Starbucks in Knoxville, Tennessee
Peter Lyngso, part-time package handler at UPS, member of the Teamsters Local 705, and freelance media strategist and filmmaker
Jose Francisco Negrete, part-time package handler who has been working for UPS for 25 years, and member of the Teamsters Local 952
Web Resources:
The New York Times: Inside Starbucks’ Dirty War Against Organized Labor
The New Republic: Starbucks Denies Union Allegations of a Ban on Pride Decorations
Knoxville News Sentinel: Maggie Carter on Starbucks's anti-union tactics and her advice to stores considering unionizing
Jacobin: Part-Time UPS Workers Say Their Jobs Are Brutal
The New York Times: UPS Drivers Say ‘Brutal’ Heat Is Endangering Their Lives
CBS: Some part-time UPS workers say "historic" contract falls short
