E-Mail Action: Tell Starbucks to Sign Ethiopian Coffee Farmer Agreement and Respect Right to Organiz

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.iww.org/en/node/3057

E-Mail Action: Tell Starbucks to Sign Ethiopian Coffee Farmer Agreement and Respect Right to Organize
Submitted by intexile on Wed, 11/29/2006 - 3:44pm.

The meeting of Starbucks' CEO with Ethiopia's Prime Minister has not changed the company's mind on a licensing agreement which respects the cultural heritage of coffee farmers. Starbucks says the coffee farmers don't need the licensing agreement just like baristas don't need a union- because the company is already so magnanimous. Tell that to coffee farmers living in brutal poverty and baristas struggling to make ends meet often without health care. More information about the proposed agreement is available on Oxfam's website: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatwedo/campaigns/coffee/starbucks. Please take a moment to register your distaste for this extreme corporate greed from Starbucks: http://starbucksunion.org/node/1127

Dear Chairman Schultz,

I am deeply distressed that you have once again rejected an agreement which would allow Ethiopian coffee formers to control their own cultural heritage. On November 29th, in a meeting in Ethiopia's capital city between Starbucks CEO Jim Donald and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, the Ethiopians assured Starbucks a royalty-free licensing agreement. Despite this assurance, you have insisted on maintaining your unfair market position while Ethiopian coffee farmers live in brutal poverty. How can you sleep at night knowing that you are profiting off the place names of exquisite Ethiopian Coffee- Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Harrar- as coffee farming families struggle to feed themselves, access clean water, and send children to school?

I am also disturbed that you have taken the same paternalistic approach to Ethiopian coffee farmers that you have taken toward Starbucks baristas joining a union for a better life on the job. Your socially responsible marketing gimmicks do not put food on the table for baristas or coffee farmers.

I support the Justice from Bean to Cup! campaign linking baristas and coffee farmers across the Starbucks supply chain for a living wage and respect. Stop interfering with the fundamental right of baristas and coffee farmers to an independent voice on the job. Sign the trademark agreement with Ethiopia and respect the right of baristas to join a labor union.

I expect your prompt attention to this matter....Send the message by clicking here: http://starbucksunion.org/node/1127