According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the food service industry has one of the lowest unionization rates in America — 1.2% compared to 10.3% for the country overall. But from Starbucks to Chipotle, service workers across America have launched a movement to increase that percentage.

It’s not hard to understand why.

BLS reports that the median full-time union worker earned $1,169 a week in 2021. The median worker who wasn’t in a union earned $975. It’s not just about wages, though.

Since the turn of the 20th century, unions have fought for better conditions, decent hours, more benefits, safer work environments and job security. However, all of that costs money, which will inevitably be passed onto the customer. So what will it cost patrons if the service industry union movement achieves its goals? Let’s take a look.

First, Understand Which Service Workers Are Organizing

The term “service industry” might make you think of your local bartender or restaurant server, but service professionals who earn tips are not pushing to unionize on a large scale — and they’re in a unique category of American labor.

They can be paid as little as $2.13 an hour as long as they earn more than $30 a month in tips, and according to The New York Times, tipped employees are especially hard to unionize. Labor organizing takes time and commitment, and turnover in restaurants and bars is especially high. Also, divisions between back-of-house and front-of-house employees complicate...

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