Ep 93 – Minor Leagues, Major Exploitation

We start this week’s episode checking in with Starbucks’ latest repressive move against its workers as they’ve fired one of the lead organizers at the first store to unionize in Buffalo. Next, we discuss a recent shady deal by the UFCW to represent Uber drivers in Canada, where the representation costs will be covered by Uber and the UFCW will lobby Canada’s parliament to preserve worker “flexibility.”  Over the past couple weeks there have been huge protests in Haiti, as textile workers in free trade “assembly zone” sweatshops have risen up to demand an increase in the minimum wage.  We also cover the announcement that workers are unionizing with the IWW at Alamo Drafthouse’s flagship location in Austin.  Also this week we discuss the exploitation of minor league baseball players in the context of the ongoing lockout of the players in the majors, and the necessity of solidarity from the major league players.   Finally this week, workers at the Midtown Detroit location of Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company have launched a strike to demand recognition of their union.

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