Policy Order O-3

WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge is committed to the right of all workers to have dignity in their lives, safe conditions at work, a living wage, and health benefits, and supports responsible employers who follow the law and treat their workers fairly; and

WHEREAS: National attention has been increasing on the efforts of Starbucks workers to organize into a union in order to negotiate fair wages, benefits, and scheduling issues without harassment from the employer or their representatives; and

WHEREAS: The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a union with a long history in Massachusetts, going back to the 1912 Lawrence textile strike, have been asked by the workers at Starbucks to be their labor representative; and

WHEREAS: The Industrial Workers of the World have agreed to work on behalf of the workers at Starbucks, the employer should allow for fair and just representation of the employees choice; and

WHEREAS: This struggle has started in New York City, and the National Labor Relations Board has ordered the workers who were unlawfully fired by Starbucks, exercising their rights, to seek representation by a union, and to be reinstated and made whole in everyway, including all damages, and ordered Starbucks to cease and desist from interfering with workers rights to organize; and

WHEREAS: Starbucks has continued to interfere with its workers rights, by firing four more workers in New York City for union activity; and

WHEREAS: Starbucks is an international corporation with many assets, and millions and millions of dollars, they should refrain from interfering with the workers right to organize; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record supporting the cause of the Starbuck’s workers; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Starbucks Corporation.