Starbucks- Honor Martin Luther King Day in 2008, Pay Baristas a Holiday Premium

Submitted by SWU on Tue, 12/18/2007 - 3:33pm.

Make January 21, 2008, the first year Starbucks pays baristas the same holiday premium on Martin Luther King Day that it pays for several other federal holidays to baristas who work.

The Union's Call

1. December 14, 2007- The IWW Starbucks Workers Union (SWU) called today for the world’s largest coffee chain to honor slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by paying workers a holiday premium on the federal holiday named for him. While Starbucks claims a commitment to racial diversity and pays a holiday premium on federal holidays including the Fourth of July and New Year’s Day, baristas receive no added compensation for working through the MLK Day holiday...CONTINUE READING

2. December 27, 2007- Starbucks issues a denial of the Union's demand to honor MLK Day by paying baristas the holiday premium. Read the denial and the Union's pledge to press on for justice on January 21, 2008.

Take Action

1. Print and then distribute the "Honor MLK Day" postcard to Starbucks baristas:

Download the front of the postcard here

Download the back of the postcard here

2. Participate in the SWU E-Mail Action supporting the call for Starbucks to honor MLK Day.

3. Get your organization to endorse the call for Starbucks to treat MLK day on par with the other federal holidays when it pays a time and a half holiday premium for baristas who work. E-mail your endorsement to starbucksunion@yahoo.com.

4. Make a contribution to the SWU so we can honor baristas contribution to Starbucks and Dr. King's contribution to the United States.

5. If you're a non-managerial Starbucks employee, join the campaign through our new online feature.