Starbucks Barista Allegedly Coerced Into Signing False Theft Settlement in St. Paul

With the defense of a fired and fined Ethiopian-American worker in St. Paul, the IWW Starbucks Workers Union continues its campaign to improve conditions for the coffee chain's workers.

The article, which was published on the union campaign's website, advocates for a woman referred to only as "Aizze," who the IWW says was threatened with jail by Starbucks' management while kept alone in a room for two hours. During that time, and because of her limited English, she was coerced into signing a false admission of theft that would cost her $1,200, according to the site. She was then fired, despite a lack of evidence or any history of theft.

The dispute is evidence of the IWW's willingness to unionize those who aren't typically represented by the American labor movement. That's a tradition in the IWW, of course. But in the current context, when the number of immigrants has rose to around 40 million and corporate chains with smaller shops increasingly dominate ("As of September 2007 the company had 172,000 employees worldwide, although since January 2008, the chain has announced more than 900 store closures and said it plans to cut as many as 6,700 jobs." - AP article), it could be an influential model for unionization. Not to mention that the union movement sorely needs some fighting spirit at a time when mainstream unions are tearing themselves apart with infighting.

The union urges supporters to "demand justice" by calling Starbucks officials listed at the site.

(Photo: IWW Starbucks Workers Union: http://www.starbucksunion.org/node/2152)