Starbucks Employees in Upstate New York Rally to Form the Chain’s First Union

Authored by ny.eater.com and submitted by thinkB4WeSpeak
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Starbucks workers in Buffalo are trying to form the chain’s first union

A group of 50 Starbucks workers in Buffalo, New York, are trying to organize the chain’s first-ever union, according to an Insider report. The employees formed an organizing committee called “Starbucks Workers United,” and released an open letter to Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson this week detailing their intent to unionize.

“We see unions as the best way to make Starbucks a place to have a sustainable career and a true partnership,” the letter reads. “We do not see our desire to organize as a reaction to specific policies but as a commitment to making Starbucks, Buffalo, and the world a better place.” A Starbucks spokesperson told Insider that the company doesn’t see the need for a workers union due to its positive work environment and “outstanding compensation and benefits.”

Between the challenges of working throughout a pandemic coupled with the more recent labor shortages that have left some shops with understaffed shifts, the unionization efforts gained momentum, a Starbucks shift supervisor told Insider. The organizing committee is aiming to represent all 20 Buffalo-area Starbucks stores, according to Insider. It currently has support from 18 locations.

The Starbucks workers are attempting to follow in the footsteps of other cafe staffers who have recently unionized their workplaces. Earlier this week, workers at Wisconsin-based coffee chain Colectivo Coffee officially formed a union, representing the largest coffee chain union in the country with about 400 members. In Buffalo, SPoT Coffee also recently unionized with about 130 members.

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mehcsre on August 29th, 2021 at 11:24 UTC »

"Upstate New York"....

Buffalo lol.

Toffeemanstan on August 29th, 2021 at 10:01 UTC »

Unions and healthcare are 2 things I really dont understand the American viewpoint on. Both can bring massive beneifits to just about everyone when done right but seem to be constantly argued against.

uh_excuseMe_what on August 29th, 2021 at 08:17 UTC »

Is it really uplifting news ? They are trying to unionize, it's not done yet.

I wish them the best though