Starbucks Strike in New Zealand

There are times that there is very little more enjoyable then a good strike. Worker bees, tired of being shafted finally stand up for themselves. If done right they have higher wages to look forward to and possibly a feel-good movie. This pseudo-strike in New Zealand sounds like its got some of the makings. Word of the strike even passed from store to store using text messages. Modern tech being used to organize labor. The Wobblies would be so proud.

What I always find interesting, and I'm never sure whether it the union's naivete, or an attempt to spin their indignation over the employer's tactics, is their shock at the reaction they get.

Union coordinator Simon Oosterman said he was "absolutely disgusted" at the company's heavy-handed reaction to what was legal industrial action.

"They actually threatened to fire any worker who was not back at work within an hour, which is just an unacceptable bullying tactic," he told NZPA.

What did they expect? What they're doing certainly takes guts and focus, but did they really expect to get everything they wanted the minute they walked out the door? If it was that easy every worker bee would be paid as much as a CEO.