Baristas at a Starbucks location in Bellingham, Washington, have become the 500th store to join the Starbucks Workers United union as of Monday. This milestone adds to the growing number of unionized stores since the first location voted to unionize in 2021. More than 11,000 baristas have joined the union, according to a press release issued Tuesday.
Lynne Fox, president of Workers United, stated that the milestone represents workers building power from the ground up. She emphasized that Starbucks partners have boldly demanded a voice in their workplace, seeking strong contracts that ensure respect, living wages, racial and gender equity, fair scheduling, and other benefits.
In February, Starbucks and the union announced a collaborative process for negotiations, working toward a foundational framework. Since April, they have been meeting monthly at the bargaining table, with 100 new locations successfully unionizing in the past six months, according to the union.
Brian Niccol, who took over as Starbucks’ CEO in September, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to bargaining in good faith with the union. He stated that the ongoing negotiations aim to establish a framework that will serve as the basis for collective bargaining agreements between individual stores and the company.
The union mentioned in its release that negotiations have been productive and have led to the advancement of several measures. Baristas from the Bellingham location sent a letter to Niccol, outlining their reasons for organizing. They expressed that Starbucks’ success in rebuilding hinges on providing baristas with the necessary support to perform their jobs effectively, thereby ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Starbucks representatives did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
