This has been the year that the coffee shop was a success in labor.
A group of baristas from Buffalo, New York voted to be the first unionized Starbucks in America on December 9, 2021.
Many other stores followed suit, resulting in a nationwide campaign which saw a surge of union activity across all non-food industries.
Since December last year, workers at over 330 Starbucks locations cast votes for the National Labor Relations Board. This federal agency is responsible for enforcing U.S. Labor laws.
According to data from NLRB provided to NPR, 268 stores have voted for forming a union to date. Starbucks employees are organizing with Workers United (an affiliate of the larger Service Employees International Union).
However, unionized stores make up only 3% of all locations that are company-operated in the country.
Since peaking in March, the number of stores that filed to vote for union members has fallen.
This year, Starbucks has achieved record sales. Sales in North America increased 11% over the previous quarter.
Starbucks has yet to sign any collective bargaining agreements with Workers United. This is due to the long process of negotiating a contract.
Union Workers United accused Starbucks of using union-busting tactics, bargaining in bad faith and dragging out negotiations.
Starbucks has been facing 457 charges of unfair labor practices since December. According to NLRB data shared by NPR, Starbucks has filed 47 charges against the union .
Starbucks also denounced Workers United’s misconduct. According to Starbucks, this includes broadcasting bargaining sessions to unidentified individuals and posting recordings online in certain cases.
In an email to NPR, Rachel Wall, a Starbucks spokesperson, stated that “change is not always easy but we are proud to be a partner focused company that offers industry leading compensation and benefits packages.”
Wall stated that the company has spent more than $1 million over the last year to provide workers with benefits packages. However, these packages may not be available to union members.
Howard Schultz, a long-standing Starbucks leader, stepped down from the company in April during the peak of the union drives. He was appointed interim CEO at Starbucks.
Schultz stated in April that he doesn’t believe conflict, division, and dissension (which has been the focus of union organizing) benefits Starbucks or our partner companies.
Workers United has criticised the company for intimidating workers, and disincentivizing them from joining unions. Some workers claimed they’ve suffered retaliation such as being fired and closing down stores for their union involvement.
A judge in Tennessee had ruled against Starbucks earlier this year after union leaders claimed that workers were unfairly fired because of their union involvement. Starbucks was required by law to reinstate these employees.
Recently, a panel of three members from the NLRB ruled against Starbucks because it refused to negotiate with the union at Starbucks Reserve Roastery, a megacafe located in Seattle.
Starbucks challenged the validity of the union’s certification. This was decided by a mail vote in April.
According to Kayla Blado (director and press secretary at NLRB’s Office of Congressional and Public Affairs), the Board will reopen the “certification period” period from the date Starbucks starts bargaining in good faith.
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