Beck Kaster News Today

DETROIT - “Don’t get sick tonight, Blue Cross is on strike,” cheered Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan workers represented by UAW on a rainy Wednesday evening. They head into their fourth week of negotiations after over 1,000 workers walked off the job Sept.

After baristas at the former Great Lakes Coffee went on strike, the company closed its stores. The fight for labor rights isn’t over.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Starbucks workers in four different coffee shops across Ann Arbor won their votes to unionize on Tuesday. Workers at one location, on South University, lost the vote, 10–16, but organizers remain hopeful.

DETROIT—Baristas across the nation have created a wave of organizing and have done what so many other workers in varied industries have only dreamed of: They’re taking control of their workplaces.

It has been one week since the workers from the Midtown location of Great Lakes Coffee - under the moniker Comrades in Coffee - have officially gone on strike.

“The workers for GLC had been voicing our concerns for a few months before the strike started,” said Lex, a worker.

The labor action illustrated converging national trends: a resurgence in union approval and a sustained campaign for higher wages and better benefits.