Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh folks, where Payday is tracking the latest happening at Starbucks.
Big thanks to everyone who donated to my long COVID recovery fund.
Memphis Starbucks Organizers Fired
Unionizing campaigns at Starbucks have been gaining viral energy, with more than 70 stores in 20 states planning unionizing efforts.
However, Starbucks now appears to be fighting back as momentum builds for a nationwide Starbucks workers’ union.
Yesterday, seven employees were fired while union organizing at a Starbucks in Memphis. Starbucks claims the workers were fired for breaking a variety of store policies, including allowing a local TV crew to film in the store.
“They’re saying that I broke a whole bunch of policies that have never been enforced before,” former shift supervisor Nikki Taylor told WMC-TV. “I have worked for this company for two years and I have literally never been written up or talked to about any of the policies that I was fired for today.”
Noble Esports Workers Walk Out After Not Being Paid
Workers at the website Noble Esports quit en masse this week after Noble Esports owner Kyle McDougal didn’t pay workers for a month. He also shut down the website.
“Today, without paying us for our work OR formally terminating our contracts, Kyle has deactivated the @NobleGG Twitter account. I am missing a month of salary, as well as all of my work samples from the past year. It is incredibly frustrating and unfair. It is not our fault that the community has become aware of Kyle’s wrongdoings,” wrote one former employee on Twitter.
For more, check out Dot Esports.
Biden Backs Capitol Hill Unionization
For years, congressional offices have struggled to retain staff because of low pay. Now, for the first time, both Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer are supporting the right of Congressional staff to unionize.
Congress would have to pass a new law granting Capitol Hill staff collective bargaining rights to unionize. Today, President Biden signaled he would support such a law.
“He supports the right of any individual to seek to join a union, to collective bargain, and of course Capitol Hill staffers are certainly individuals who are pursuing that,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a press conference yesterday.
Instacart Worker Killed on the Job
Finally, Payday Report pays tribute to 38-year-old Instacart worker Justin Krumbah who was killed in a shooting rampage while working in a Richland, Washington Fred Meyer supermarket.
The Independent has a look at his life:
In his last post before he died, he had shared a photo of him smiling cheerily dressed in his work apron.
“Hi ho, hi ho, off to work I go!” he captioned the photo, posted on 26 January.
The enthusiastic worker spoke of his “pride” in his job when a friend commented that he wears an apron.
“I take pride in my work no matter what I do!” he responded.
“Always gotta be professional!! And it’s sped up my production time also!!”
For more, check out the Independent.
News & Strikes Happening Elsewhere
- At least 30 anti-union attorneys are working for Starbucks to slow down the spread of union drives.
- Google Fiber workers in Kansas City face union-busting efforts ahead of a vote to organize.
- Bills that would strip municipal Virginia employees of newly won collective bargaining rights were killed by the Virginia State Senate.
- Union Kitchen staff strike over the weekend following retaliation against their union campaign.
- Bus drivers in Orange County, California, are preparing to strike.
- California College of the Arts faculty begin a four-day strike.
- Finally, a Buffalo IUOE union organizer said that a successful Starbucks union drive there helped inspire him and construction supply workers to unionize.
Alright folks, that’s all for today. Donate to help us cover COVID costs as I get back on my feet. Please if you can, sign up as one of our 664 recurring donors today.
Also, you can send tips, links, comments, and questions to melk@paydayreport.com
Love & Solidarity,
Melk
