The first post was not the crain's story, it was the Union's press release. Here are theclips from today's media:

www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0608310158aug31,1,5638083.story

(Published on over 28 news websites, including
the Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, Chicago
Sun-Times, MSNBC, NBC5 Chicago, Seattle Times,

Union says some sign up at Starbucks

Associated Press
Published August 31, 2006

A union claiming to represent Starbucks Corp.
workers at a handful of coffeehouses said
Wednesday that employees of a Chicago store have
declared their membership, becoming the first
outside New York City to do so.

Baristas at the Logan Square Starbucks store
joined the IWW Starbucks Workers Union Tuesday
night, the union said. They issued a set of
demands that include a living wage, guaranteed
work hours and the reinstatement of IWW baristas
fired for organizing activity.

Starbucks, the world's largest specialty
coffee-maker, often is lauded for offering
generous benefits that include health insurance
for part-time workers. But the two-year-old
union, which has members at seven Starbucks
locations, contends that workers face low wages
and barriers to health care and other benefits.

Seattle-based Starbucks released a statement
saying the company "does not believe the IWW has
meaningful support at any of our stores. While
Starbucks respects the free choice of our
[employees], we firmly believe that our work
environment, coupled with our outstanding
compensation and benefits, make unions
unnecessary at Starbucks."

In March, Starbucks settled an unfair labor
practice charge the union filed with the
National Labor Relations Board, accusing the
company of violating federal law by creating a
national policy prohibiting workers from sharing
written union information or wearing buttons.

The company admitted no wrongdoing in its
settlement, but was forced to post at three
stores named in the complaint detailed notices
explaining workers' rights to organize.

Because the IWW has never formally negotiated
with the company and is not certified under the
National Labor Relations Act, Starbucks contends
none of its U.S. stores is unionized.

Nevertheless, the IWW claims to represent
dues-paying members who have bargained for
certain job improvements.

_______________________
www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl
Crains Chicago Business

Starbucks workers in Logan Square form union
Only location outside of New York to be organized

(Crain’s) — A group of Starbucks employees in
Logan Square have joined a union, the first
group outside of New York, despite the coffee
company’s refusal to recognize organized labor.

The workers at 2759 W. Logan Blvd. announced
Tuesday night that they were affiliating with
the Industrial Workers of the World Starbucks
Workers Union in an effort to increase hourly
pay, have a guaranteed number of work hours per
week and to reinstate employees who they claim
were fired for union organizing activity. Union
representatives declined to disclose membership
numbers.

“We want a better place to work and a positive
workplace,” said Joe Tessone, a Starbucks
employee and co-organizer of the Logan Square
store. “We want a living wage.”

A Starbucks representative was not available for
comment.

Union members are demanding a pay increase to
$10 an hour for entry-level workers from the
current $7.50 an hour in addition to guaranteed
minimum hours and healthcare benefits.

“There are no minimum hours and that’s the
problem,” Mr. Tessone said. “Our schedule is at
the mercy of the manager.”

With regards the healthcare, union officials
claim Starbucks only covers 42% of its workers,
less than the 47% that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is
often criticized for.

The Logan Square employees are the first outside
of six Starbucks in New York City, which
organized on May 17, 2004, to join the IWW
Starbucks Workers Union.

“This is the first store [outside of New York],
but it isn’t going to be the last,” said Daniel
Gross, IWW organizer.

Mr. Tessone said he and others began organizing
earlier this summer despite his having worked
for Starbuck for two years.

“There is an extremely high turnover rate and
it’s very hard [to organize],” he said. “You
have to wait for a critical mass of workers.”

He said his group has not asked for a labor
contract but might push for one in the future.

“Our main goal now is to press the company in
making these changes,” said Mr. Tessone.

While the company does not recognize the union,
Mr. Gross, who claims he was fired in August by
Starbucks for labor organizing activity, said
the labor group has been able to pressure
Starbucks into raising wages at all New York
locations to $8.75 an hour from $7.75 an hour.
Mr. Gross said union members will conduct
through in-store demonstrations and pickets in
an attempt to get what it wants.

In March, Starbucks settled an unfair labor
practice charge the union filed with the
National Labor Relations Board, accusing the
company of violating federal law by creating a
national policy prohibiting workers from sharing
written union information or wearing buttons.

The company admitted no wrongdoing in its
settlement, but was forced to post at three
stores named in the complaint detailed notices
explaining workers' rights to organize. It also
offered two workers their jobs back and gave
three employees back pay totaling less than
$2,000.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)