A series of emails by Starbucks Corp. managers sheds light on the company's efforts to thwart union organizing among its baristas...in early 2006, Starbucks managers discovered that two pro-union employees in New York were graduates of a Cornell University labor program…managers took the names of [other] graduates…and cross-checked them with employee lists nationwide. They found that three [additional] employees…were graduates of the program and recommended that local managers be informed...[Brandon Borrman, a Starbucks spokesman] said: "We honor the free choices of partners, and we strictly comply with labor laws, including those for organizing activities. It is unfortunate that a small group of activists continues to misrepresent itself as speaking on behalf of more than 150,000 partners world-wide when it does not."...The company emails show that managers have been fighting the union since 2004. "Below is a summary of the recent developments in New York City regarding our attempts to thwart a potential union situation," begins an email dated Oct. 29, 2004 by a Starbucks New York regional official. In subsequent emails, managers identify whether an employee is an "IWW supporter" and discuss when pro-union employees will be reviewed and those that are "at risk" of being terminated.