Starbucks workers voted to form the chain’s first union, which runs 8,953 stores in the United States.
Three Buffalo-area stores held separate union elections. Baristas and shift supervisors at one store voted to unionize 19-8, while workers at the second store rejected union 12-8.
The third store failed to reach a verdict and faces a legal battle. There, 15 votes were cast in favor of unionization and 9 against, while 7 votes were contested. Most of the challenges come from the union, which argued that some workers who voted were not regular employees at the site.
The election marks one of the highest-profile union victories for restaurant workers, who are among the least unionized in the country.
Starbucks workers who voted to unionize will join Workers United, affiliated with the massive International Union of Service Employees.
Starbucks, which has promoted its reputation as a progressive employer with generous benefits, argues that a union is not necessary. The company tried to thwart organizing attempts in New York City and Philadelphia. But last year, workers at a Starbucks store in Canada managed to join a union.
Buffalo’s vote drew attention and support from across the country and from key labor figures like Senator Bernie Sanders.
Workers in favor of the Starbucks union advocated for better staffing, training and salaries, including constant salary increases for workers who stay with the company for years only to find that their salary barely exceeds that of new hires.
Hours before federal officials set the union vote for Buffalo stores, Starbucks announced that it would increase its starting wage to $ 15 an hour and increase the wages of staff employed for more than two and five years, in addition to making changes to their training. and programming.
Buffalo workers had accused Starbucks of breaking the law by interfering with their labor organization. The group denounced that the chain “participated in a campaign of threats, intimidation and surveillance,” in addition to other illegal activities in response to its efforts to unionize. But the chain denied those accusations and said it complies with all labor organization laws and guidelines.
Starbucks had also argued that the 20 stores in the Buffalo area should vote in the union election, rather than three individual stores, noting that workers can take shifts at different stores. Federal labor officials disagreed, noted each self-contained store, and refused to delay the election or the counting of votes on the matter.
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