International
Starbucks staff plan to strike in over 100 US stores
| By AFP |
Starbucks workers in more than 100 US stores plan to go on strike Thursday, according to a union, protesting the coffee giant’s approach in negotiating union contracts as the company rolls out festive promotions.
Dubbed the “Red Cup Rebellion,” the one-day strike coincides with a popular event in which Starbucks hands out reusable cups with certain festive purchases.
Instead of the branded cups, workers plan to give out red union cups instead, said Starbucks Workers United, which represents nearly 7 000 employees across the United States.
The action takes place in “response to Starbucks’ union-busting tactics and refusal to bargain,” said the group in a statement.
It added that workers wanted the right to organize a union free of intimidation and fear.
“Unless Starbucks comes to the table and bargains in good faith for a fair contract, we can count on this to happen again,” the union said.
Workers at two Starbucks cafes in Buffalo, New York, voted to set up a union in late 2021, marking the first at the coffee chain’s company-owned shops in the US.
Now, the Starbucks Workers United represents more than 260 locations.
But the company’s management has been slow to start negotiations on collective agreements, and is accused of intimidation.
The National Labor Relations Board has issued dozens of complaints against Starbucks, and the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Following efforts at Starbucks, there has been a spread of union drives to a growing slate of corporations including Apple, REI, Chipotle and Trader Joe’s.
These were companies that union organizers have not in the past viewed as fertile to their efforts.
International
U.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
A U.S. strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean killed three people on Saturday, according to Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth, marking the latest in a series of attacks in international waters.
The United States has deployed ships to the Caribbean and sent fighter jets to Puerto Rico as part of a large military force that Washington says is aimed at curbing drug trafficking.
“This vessel, like all the others, was known to our intelligence for being involved in illicit narcotics smuggling,” Hegseth stated on X. “Three narcoterrorists were aboard the vessel during the attack, which took place in international waters,” he added.
Experts argue that the attacks, which began in early September, amount to extrajudicial executions, even if the targets are known traffickers.
Washington has yet to publicly provide evidence that the targeted individuals were actively smuggling drugs or posed a threat to the United States.
Hegseth said the U.S. would continue “hunting… and killing” suspected traffickers. He also shared video footage of the strike, showing the vessel being hit and engulfed in flames. As in previous videos, sections of the ship were blurred, making it impossible to verify the number of people on board.
The United Nations called on Friday for Washington to halt its attacks.
International
At least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
At least 23 people were killed and 11 others injured in an explosion at a supermarket in Hermosillo, in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, local authorities reported on Saturday.
“So far, there are 23 confirmed deaths and 11 injured, including minors,” said Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo in a video message. He added that the injured are receiving treatment in various hospitals across the city.
“I have ordered a thorough and transparent investigation to determine the causes of the incident and assign responsibility where appropriate,” Durazo said.
The explosion occurred at a Waldo’s store in downtown Hermosillo. Local authorities confirmed that the incident was not an attack nor related to any violent act against civilians.
Meanwhile, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on X, offering sympathy to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
U.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
At least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
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