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Union: more organizing at Starbucks after Manhattan settlement

March 9, 2006, 1:55 AM EST - AP New York; reposted from Newsday.

SEATTLE (AP) _ A union that sought to represent Starbucks Corp. baristas at three Manhattan coffeehouses says it will ramp up its organizing efforts now that the company has settled an unfair labor practice complaint.

A branch of the Industrial Workers of the World that calls itself IWW Starbucks Workers Union characterized Tuesday's settlement as a victory for union organizing. Among other things, it requires Starbucks to post notices at the three stores named in the complaint stating that employees have the right to join a union.

"This settlement creates the organizing space we need to continue the already positive membership growth we have in the Starbucks union," Daniel Gross, a Starbucks barista and IWW organizer, said Wednesday in a phone interview from New York City.

Starbucks admitted no wrongdoing in its settlement with the National Labor Relations Board, but agreed to offer two workers their jobs back and to give three employees back pay totaling less than $2,000.

The union argued that Starbucks violated federal law by creating a national policy prohibiting workers from sharing written union information or wearing union buttons.

In a company statement e-mailed Wednesday by spokesman Alan Hilowitz, Starbucks said: "While Starbucks respects the free choice of our partners and remains committed to complying fully with all laws governing the right to organize collectively, we also believe firmly that our progressive, positive work environment, coupled with our outstanding compensation and benefits, make unions unnecessary at Starbucks."

The company contends there are no unionized Starbucks stores in the United States, but Gross says the IWW represents "a modest-sized group" of dues-paying members who have collectively bargained for certain job improvements, including pay raises.

Gross refused to say precisely how many Starbucks employees belong to the union, but said it is making progress toward organizing more workers in New York City and beyond.