Starbucks
Many say Aspen is ahead of the wave — that elites try stuff here that would result in riots or worse in other states. According to the Guardian’s lead story on Aug. 25, “More than 85 workers at Starbucks who were heavily involved in union organizing efforts … have been fired over the past several months, according to the workers group Starbucks Workers United.”
Any labor lawyer will tell you this is violently against the law (the National Labor Relations Act specifically). According to a SkiCo VP as quoted in a brilliant Aspen Times article by Scott Condon over a decade ago, it’s just “an old law.” Hmmm? Will Starbucks and SkiCo maintain all these firings are just the cost of doing business? Community or corporate feudalism?
Boycott Starbucks.
Lee Mulcahy, Basalt
National Farmers Union
The U.S. Justice Department’s Antitrust Division hosted 30 farmers affiliated with the National Farmers Union to discuss the state of competition in agriculture markets and strengthening antitrust enforcement.
Over the last year the Antitrust Division put special focus on competition in agriculture, by including suing to block U.S. Sugar from acquiring its rival, Imperial Sugar Company.
This past summer, the Antitrust Division filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against a data consulting firm and its president, as well as three poultry processors, to end a long-running conspiracy to exchange information about wages and benefits for poultry processing plant workers. The proposed consent decree with defendant poultry processors Cargill, Sanderson Farms and Wayne Farms would prohibit them from sharing competitively sensitive information about poultry.
Fairness for farmers, fishers and ranchers and competitive, resilient food systems are a top priority for the Antitrust Division and the National Farmers Union.
Best wishes,
Emzy Veazy III
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