NYC: IWW Marches Against Wage Slavery

From the Socialist Party of New York City:

Sponsored by the NYC Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) labor union.  All Workers are Invited!  After 3 years of marches, petitions, and other actions, the IWW and its supporters have made one of the wealthiest fast food companies cave to the workers' demand for holiday recognition for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which falls on Monday, January 17th this year.

Many workers at Starbucks have experienced or witnessed racist hiring practices and treatment of workers. This holiday was specifically chosen because of the workers respect and love for King and for his support for organized labor.

Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis when he traveled there to support an illegal strike of black sanitation workers that were fighting for better working conditions, a living wage, respect, and union recognition. The IWW Starbucks Workers Union, a union formed entirely by current and former Starbucks baristas, has fought for nearly 7 years for the rights of every worker at Starbucks.

This year we celebrate our greatest victory yet!

On Monday, January 17th, 2010 every Starbucks employee working in the U.S. will receive time and a half holiday pay in honor of Dr. King. We give a low estimate of $1.2 million being spent by the company to cover the time and a half for hourly in-store employees, though the total amount of money going into the pockets of deserving workers is much higher because administrative workers and roasting plant workers will be receiving premium pay as well. Even the salaried managers at Starbucks stores, some of whom have spent years actively fighting against the union and lying about its members, will be benefiting from this victory with paid day offs. . . .