Starbucks Barista Allegedly Coerced Into Signing False Theft Settlement in St. Paul

With the defense of a fired and fined Ethiopian-American worker in St. Paul, the IWW Starbucks Workers Union continues its campaign to improve conditions for the coffee chain's workers.

The article, which was published on the union campaign's website, advocates for a woman referred to only as "Aizze," who the IWW says was threatened with jail by Starbucks' management while kept alone in a room for two hours. During that time, and because of her limited English, she was coerced into signing a false admission of theft that would cost her $1,200, according to the site. She was then fired, despite a lack of evidence or any history of theft.

The dispute is evidence of the IWW's willingness to unionize those who aren't typically represented by the American labor movement. That's a tradition in the IWW, of course. But in the current context, when the number of immigrants has rose to around 40 million and corporate chains with smaller shops increasingly dominate ("As of September 2007 the company had 172,000 employees worldwide, although since January 2008, the chain has announced more than 900 store closures and said it plans to cut as many as 6,700 jobs." - AP article), it could be an influential model for unionization. Not to mention that the union movement sorely needs some fighting spirit at a time when mainstream unions are tearing themselves apart with infighting.

The union urges supporters to "demand justice" by calling Starbucks officials listed at the site.

(Photo: IWW Starbucks Workers Union: http://www.starbucksunion.org/node/2152)

Minneapolis was a bridge between the living and the dead

Anyone who loves Minneapolis, a city I argue is among the top five in the world, will love this 1995 City Pages piece by current Minnesota Monthly "dining" critic Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl.

It's the type of piece that no one locally will do anymore. It's got the drama of an entire frontier city's cancerous growth and eventual sanitation: drunks, capitalism, assassination and populist demagogues. Written at a time when Minneapolis was dubbed "Murderapolis," Dara predicts a return of the bad old days.

Look at this (photo: Minnesota Historical Society, Bohemian Flats near the West Bank, 1898):

"These settlers had bought up a godforsaken place, which they proceeded to christen All Saints. "All Saints" then meant literally a place where the spirits of the dead mingled with the living: a terrifying, un-Christian place. Perhaps, since it was believed that witches and ghosts couldn't cross a moving stream, they thought that the land west of the Mississippi was especially haunted, rife with the spirits of the untamed territory sprawling out to the west."

Check out this hidden gem (Photo: Minnesota Historical Society, 1886):

"Dead Dogs" were the subject of a worried Minneapolis Tribune on July 12, 1867: "There are dead dogs laying around where they have died... and this warm weather will soon make them more of a nuisance than they were when alive." Dogs weren't the only problem: "If cows are kept by people in the city," complained the Tribune a month later, "they should be compelled to put them in a yard overnight. It is unsafe for a person to drive through our streets on a dark night for fear of running on to cows lying in the street... They are really a great nuisance, and make streets look like barn yards."


Read the whole thing, but here's one last appetizer(photo: Minnesota Historical Society, Bohemian Flats near the West Bank, 1900):

"The most violent of these shantytowns, Hell's Half Acre, occupied the block between Eighth and Ninth Streets and Second and Third Avenues South. Mead's History of the Police and Fire Departments described them as a settlement "of utter darkness, wailing, and woe. Bloody frays were a nightly occurrence.... The alleys were strewn with empty beer kegs and whisky bottles, and the latter were often used as weapons of warfare." Police were strongly discouraged from entering this area: Life was cheap there, and the community displayed such solidarity that police were greeted with the damping of all lanterns and candles, and were frequently pelted with bottles and rocks until they fled."

Tarryl Clark: DFL Superstar

State Sen. Tarryl Clark, DFL-St. Cloud, announced this week that she'd take on Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, R-Wingnut, in the 2010 sixth district Congressional race.

The news evidently surprised the unfortunately-named Elwyn Tinklenberg (who lost to Bachmann last year, despite Bachmann's enthusiastic help). After announcing his candidacy just a few weeks back, Tinklenberg dropped out Tuesday.

That's evidence of the political sway Clark has gained since winning her seat in the Republican-leaning district during a special election in 2005.

In the state Senate, considered to be the more tradition-bound of the state legislative bodies, Clark rose to Assistant Majority Leader in her first complete term. Throughout this year's session, she served as the face of the Senate DFL, delivering DFL talking points and attacks on Republicans with clarity and reason.

She's young, pretty and well-spoken, with the backing of labor and a moderate reputation, despite years of community activism. And her ambition is widely aknowledged at the Capitol. Before July, most rumors about Clark revolved around a run for the already cluttered governor's race. By moving into the 6th district race, especially with Tinklenberg gone, Clark eliminates the need for a bruising primary fight that could potentially damage her career (the other candidate, Maureen Reed, is a former Independent Party candidate and has little chance of gaining the DFL endorsement against Clark).

Since the last election, Bachmann has fallen further off her rocker, digging deep into right-wing conspiracies (Isn't it a miracle that she has't made a peep on the Obama Birther movement?). Even in 2008, Tinklenberg only lost by three percent, and he didn't really fight back; the endless stream of zany statements by our Midwestern Maverick, if taken advantage of by a savvy politician like Clark, could be devestating to the remnants of Bachmann's public image. Not to mention that Bachmann has become a favorite target of liberals like Keith Olbermann, which could herald a flood of out of state campaign donations for Clark.

One thing is clear: As long as Bachmann stays nears cameras and microphones, it's Clark's election to lose.

Truth Will Prevail: An earlier age of media alarmism

For those depressed by the impending demise of our local newspapers, I found this flyer from the1930s criticizing the consolidation of the Daily News with the Dispatch-Pioneer Press should provide some long-range context, if not comfort.

I got the image while doing research on the Farmer-Labor Party at the Minnesota Historical Society. Best place ever! No coffee allowed.