Connect with us

International

Starbucks staff plan to strike in over 100 US stores

Photo: Timothy A. Clary / AFP

| By AFP |

Starbucks workers in more than 100 US stores plan to go on strike Thursday, according to a union, protesting the coffee giant’s approach in negotiating union contracts as the company rolls out festive promotions.

Dubbed the “Red Cup Rebellion,” the one-day strike coincides with a popular event in which Starbucks hands out reusable cups with certain festive purchases.

Instead of the branded cups, workers plan to give out red union cups instead, said Starbucks Workers United, which represents nearly 7 000 employees across the United States.

The action takes place in “response to Starbucks’ union-busting tactics and refusal to bargain,” said the group in a statement.

Advertisement
20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90
20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90
20250701_dengue_728x90
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90
20231124_etesal_728x90_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90
domfuturo_netview-728x90
20240604_dom_728x90
CEL
previous arrow
next arrow

It added that workers wanted the right to organize a union free of intimidation and fear.

“Unless Starbucks comes to the table and bargains in good faith for a fair contract, we can count on this to happen again,” the union said.

Workers at two Starbucks cafes in Buffalo, New York, voted to set up a union in late 2021, marking the first at the coffee chain’s company-owned shops in the US.

Now, the Starbucks Workers United represents more than 260 locations.

But the company’s management has been slow to start negotiations on collective agreements, and is accused of intimidation.

Advertisement
20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90
20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90
20250701_dengue_728x90
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90
20231124_etesal_728x90_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90
domfuturo_netview-728x90
20240604_dom_728x90
CEL
previous arrow
next arrow

The National Labor Relations Board has issued dozens of complaints against Starbucks, and the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Following efforts at Starbucks, there has been a spread of union drives to a growing slate of corporations including Apple, REI, Chipotle and Trader Joe’s.

These were companies that union organizers have not in the past viewed as fertile to their efforts.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
20250701_vacunacion-influenza-300x250
20250701_vacunacion_vph-300x250
20250701_dengue_300x250_01
20250701_dengue_300x250_02
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_300x250
20231124_etesal_300x250_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_300X250
MARN1

International

Trump administration begins downsizing ‘bloated’ state department workforce

The U.S. Department of State issued layoff notices on Friday to more than 1,300 employees both domestically and abroad, marking the start of a workforce reduction aimed at trimming what officials have called a “bloated” staff. The move is part of President Donald Trump’s broader effort to restructure the federal government.

According to local media reports, more than 1,100 Civil Service employees and around 250 Foreign Service officers received notifications via email. Those affected will be placed on administrative leave for periods ranging from 90 to 120 days from the date of their dismissal notice.

The job cuts are part of a plan to centralize and streamline the agency’s operations without disrupting its overall functioning. The restructuring was designed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had previously informed Congress in May of his intention to reduce the department’s workforce by 15%. The State Department currently employs about 18,000 people.

According to the top U.S. diplomat, the goal is to optimize what he described as a “bloated bureaucracy that stifles innovation and misallocates scarce resources,” as well as to eliminate remnants of “radical political ideology.”

The reorganization is expected to hit hardest in offices focused on human rights and refugee issues, which will now be handled by regional bureaus, according to The New York Times.

Advertisement

20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90
20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90
20250701_dengue_728x90
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90
20231124_etesal_728x90_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90
domfuturo_netview-728x90
20240604_dom_728x90
CEL

previous arrow
next arrow

“We inherited a system that needed reform, and we are delivering it,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce on Thursday, adding that the Administration is committed to a foreign policy that puts U.S. interests first.

Continue Reading

International

Trump defends Bolsonaro, hints at talks with Brazil after tariff warning

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he “might at some point” choose to speak with the Brazilian government after threatening to impose a 50% tariff on imports from the South American country, citing what he claims is a political persecution against former president Jair Bolsonaro.

“I might talk to them at some point,” Trump said when asked whether he had spoken with officials in Brasília following the tariff threat he sent earlier this week.

The president once again insisted that the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is “treating former President Bolsonaro very unfairly.” He reiterated his admiration for Bolsonaro, calling him “a good negotiator” in trade matters.

“I shouldn’t like him because he was such a good negotiator. But he was an honest man,” Trump stated before departing Washington for flood-affected regions in Texas.

“I can tell the difference between those who are corrupt and those who are honest,” the Republican added, referring to the far-right former Brazilian president.

Advertisement

20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90
20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90
20250701_dengue_728x90
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90
20231124_etesal_728x90_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90
domfuturo_netview-728x90
20240604_dom_728x90
CEL

previous arrow
next arrow

On Wednesday, Trump sent a letter to the Brazilian government announcing a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports starting August 1.

Continue Reading

International

Sheinbaum slams ICE raids after 355 mexicans detained and 67,000 repatriated

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Friday that at least 355 Mexican migrants have been detained in various immigration raids across the United States, and over 67,000 have been repatriated since January 20, when Donald Trump’s administration began.

“There are 355 Mexican nationals directly linked to the raids who have been detained,” the president reported during her morning press conference.

She clarified that, on Thursday alone, following a raid on agricultural fields in California, the Mexican consulate received 25 calls from relatives seeking assistance for the detainees. However, the total number of those arrested is still being verified.

Sheinbaum’s comments come in response to Thursday’s reports that Mexican workers were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during raids on farms in California, specifically in Santa Barbara County, in the Carpinteria area.

The actions of ICE agents sparked protests, which were dispersed when officers deployed tear gas on demonstrators in the middle of the fields.

Advertisement

20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90
20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90
20250701_dengue_728x90
20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90
20231124_etesal_728x90_1
20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90
domfuturo_netview-728x90
20240604_dom_728x90
CEL

previous arrow
next arrow

In response, the Mexican government, through its foreign ministry, activated its consular support protocol to assist the detained nationals.

The Mexican leader took the opportunity to condemn the raids, calling them “deeply unfair” and warning that “they will significantly harm the U.S. economy.”

Continue Reading

Trending

Central News