Analysis and discussion of issues that impact business

The threat of legal action can move mountains. Or coffee beans anyway.

The union representing Starbucks Corp. workers said Wednesday that employees of a Chicago store have declared their membership, becoming the first unionized employees outside New York City of the world’s largest coffee chain.

It looks like your expensive cup of gourmet coffee is likely to become even more expensive.

Just a thought for the people who regularly complain about "big corporations" and how they run everything. It is possible to move mountains.

Starbucks often is lauded for offering generous benefits that include health insurance for part-time workers. But the 2-year-old union, which has members at seven Starbucks locations, contends that workers face low wages and barriers to health care and other benefits.

"Barriers to health care and other benefits". Could a "barrier" be that only certain employees can get them? I just thought those were the rules. They should have been explained to you before you accepted employment there. If you didn't like them, why work there. But I digress.

In March, Starbucks settled an unfair labor practice charge the union filed with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the company of violating federal law by creating a national policy prohibiting workers from sharing written union information or wearing buttons.

I'm just wondering if Starbucks must now allow workers to wear buttons and engage in union activities while they're working.

The baristas at the Logan Square Starbucks store joined the IWW Starbucks Workers Union Tuesday night, the union said. They issued a set of demands that included a living wage, guaranteed work hours and the reinstatement of IWW baristas fired for organizing activity.

So I guess even if there's not enough revenue to pay employees, guaranteed work hours means they have to be on the clock. That does not seem to make much business sense.

The company admitted no wrongdoing in its settlement, but was forced to post at three stores named in the complaint detailed notices explaining workers’ rights to organize. It also offered two workers their jobs back and gave three employees back pay totaling less than $2,000.

So, it looks like "red state" Wal-Mart and "blue state" Starbucks have something in common. Who'da thunk it.