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Joe Tessone became something of a barista icon after confronting Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz about the company’s treatment of workers. Now he’s out of a job.
The activist has been laid off, purportedly for violating the company’s rules regarding work availability. In the last year Starbucks has cut more than 18,000 jobs and closed 975 stores in an attempt to improve the company’s ebbing profit margins.
Two weeks ago Tessone posted an article titled “Howard the Coward,” on the Industrial Workers of the World’s web site, detailing his run in with Schultz at a Starbucks in Chicago. The IWW Starbucks Workers Union has been waging a campaign to improve wages and working conditions at the coffee chain, and has been active in the Twin Cities.
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7 Comments »
Comment posted March 23, 2009 @ 2:38 pm
Feel it should be noted that the guy in that photo was NOT laid off. At least not in this instance. See http://tcsbuxunion.com/ for more from the locals. Wobbly baristas 4eva!
Comment posted March 23, 2009 @ 10:37 pm
its industrial workers of the world
not
international
Comment posted March 24, 2009 @ 12:08 am
Thanks. fixed.
And yes, that picture is from a January rally in Minneapolis. Not a picture of Joe Tessone.
Comment posted March 24, 2009 @ 3:29 am
i <3 joe tessone’s bum
Comment posted March 24, 2009 @ 2:42 pm
I can see why there was a dip in the stock. CEO’s don’t need bad names now.
Comment posted March 24, 2009 @ 4:22 pm
Wow. What a joke.
IMprove working conditions? This is a coffee shop not a coal mine. What a bunch of greedy losers who can’t acknowlege they have a crappy retail service job and deserve no more. ROFL.
Comment posted March 24, 2009 @ 6:51 pm
So Funny,
Honey, Mom needs the computer. Go back to playing your video games, but no World of Warcraft before homework!
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