Mark

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Another interesting development out of New York City this week: hundreds of workers at GrowNYC are seeking to unionize as the GrowNYC Workers Collective, affiliated with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). They're seeking voluntary recognition currently, and as of yesterday at least were in talks with GrowNYC to that end, and allegedly GrowNYC has already committed to recognizing them. They have also filed for a union election if that falls through.

GrowNYC, for the unaware, is an environmental non-profit which currently operates the Greenmarket farmers market program and which builds urban farms and community gardens in the city. They employ about 200 people in roles that vary: farmstand workers, food distribution workers, composters, and nutrition and farming education teachers (all of which would be covered by this new union). As far as I can tell they do very good work for New York City's residents, so it would be unfortunate to see them attempt to union-bust—but it would also be unsurprising, as even "progressive" organizations often have a poor track record when it comes to unions.

A union is also desperately needed, according to workers. While GrowNYC workers generally report loving their jobs, RWDSU notes a wide array of problems they encounter in their work, including "workplace harassment [and] sexual harassment, unstable scheduling practices, seasonal layoffs with no call-back structure, a lack of structure when it comes to job duties and tasks at work, and favoritism by management."

A New York Times article corroborates many of these. Says the Times: "Most of the workers at the city’s farmers’ markets are hourly employees who make between $19 and $26 an hour. Some work year-round, but many are part time or work erratic schedules. Few receive benefits or have job security." The piece further notes that workers have needed to do essential first aid at the marketplaces; and as having "market patrons or passers-by [spit] on them, [call] them racial slurs or otherwise [lash] out." Shifts can last 12 or more hours, and individual workers often become responsible for entire portions of GrowNYC operations.

Congratulations!

Starbucks's union-busting decision to pull out of the Ithaca market has already led to widespread backlash this week, and that backlash (and the fallout from it) continues to intensify.

On Wednesday (May 10), workers from at least one of the remaining stores walked out in protest. Then, yesterday (May 11), members of the community essentially picketed one of the remaining Starbucks locations in Ithaca, and students began an occupation of Cornell's administrative offices.

The picketing followed a rally against Starbucks, and raised $700 for Starbucks Workers Union. Most of this money was raised by selling the coffee of local chain Gimme!, which is also unionized and a worker-run co-op, in front of the remaining Starbucks locations in Ithaca. Cornell reportedly called the police to halt this action, although it's unclear if the police actually did so.

While this was going on, students elsewhere on campus began an occupation of the university's administrative offices in an effort to get the campus to cut ties with Starbucks entirely. This facet of the protest gained particular steam yesterday as it was livestreamed to hundreds of people online. Its participants stated the occupation would continue "UNTIL PRESIDENT POLLACK KICKS STARBUCKS OFF CAMPUS"—and it seems at least a dozen students (and probably more) were involved. They were successful at occupying the space for over six hours and negotiating with Cornell leadership, although the binding meeting protesters asked for with President Pollack did not occur.

Cornell eventually called the cops and evicted the protest under threat of disciplinary action. Students were jovial, however, during the protest. The Cornell Sun notes the students as having "s[ung] union songs such as “Solidarity Forever” and “Which Side Are You On?” and chant[ed] slogans such as “Union strong, Starbucks out!” and “If we don’t get it, shut it down!”" When they were evicted at 8:59pm, they once again sang “Solidarity Forever” and some began camping out in front of the building with intent to continue their occupation today.

And indeed, it seems that the occupation is once again underway and has been for approximately the last five hours as of writing. Students filmed themselves filing in with signs of support for SBWU and demands to end sales of Starbucks products on Cornell this morning: