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News :: Labor |
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Starbucks' Uniform Washers Rally For Rights |
Current rating: 0 |
by UNITE
(No verified email address) |
22 Jun 2003
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Thousands of Cintas workers, community leaders, and labor supporters marched and rallied today to urge Starbucks to adhere to its own standards of corporate conduct. |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katie Shaller, (646) 831-1045
THOUSANDS PROTEST UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS AT STARBUCKS' SUPPLIER, CINTAS, IN NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION
--Activists Declare National Day of Action to Raise awareness of excessive injury rates and deaths at Cintas, a Starbucks' supplier -
NEW YORK, JUNE 19 - Thousands of Cintas workers, community leaders, and labor supporters marched and rallied today to urge Starbucks to adhere to its own standards of corporate conduct. Demonstrators gathered in cities across North America, including Detroit, Miami, New Haven, Philadelphia, and San Jose. Demonstrators wore bandages and crutches to dramatize Cintas' poor record of worker safety. Starbucks recently signed a contract for apron, mat and linen service with Cintas Corporation, a company with a history of illegal and unsafe working conditions that have caused the death of two employees.
Cintas is under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for violating Federal health and safety standards and endangering workers' lives. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is investigating Cintas for over 100 violations of labor law including illegally firing and harassing workers currently trying to form a union with the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees [UNITE]. "Consumers want to go to Starbucks for lattes, not lawlessness," said UNITE President Bruce Raynor. "How can Starbucks justify using a supplier that puts workers' lives at risk? On this national day of action, we're calling on the company to do the right thing. Thousands of activists, union members and ordinary citizens are taking a stand today to fight unsafe working conditions and ensure that corporations like Starbucks keep the promises that they make to our communities."
Cintas is the largest uniform rental provider in Northern America. Although it made $234 million in profits from $2.27 billion in sales last year, the company continues to pay many of its 17,000 production workers poverty wages and cheat drivers out of overtime pay. In February, Cintas employees in the United States and Canada began organizing a union with UNITE as a way to improve working conditions and treatment.
UNITE represents over 250,000 members in the U.S. and Canada, including over 40,000 members in the laundry industry. For more information, visit www.uniteunion.org.
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