Starbucks workers have voted to form their first U.S. union.
Workers from at least one store near Buffalo, N.Y., voted to unionize, in a watershed moment for Starbucks, which operates 8,953 stores in the U.S.
Three Buffalo-area stores held separate union elections, and ballots from two additional stores are still being hand-counted by a federal labor official. At the first store, the tally was 19 votes in favor — versus eight against — a union.
At stake is whether a total of more than 80 Starbucks employees will form a union. If a majority vote yes, they will join Workers United, affiliated with the massive Service Employees International Union.
The election marks one of the highest-profile union wins for U.S. restaurant workers, which are among the least unionized in the country.
Starbucks has promoted its reputation as a progressive employer with generous benefits, arguing that a union is not necessary.
In fact, Starbucks previously fought off organizing attempts in New York City and Philadelphia. But last year, workers at a Starbucks store in Canada unionized. And now, three additional locations in the Buffalo-area and one in Arizona are pursuing a union.
"I think a unionized Starbucks restaurant will demonstrate to workers ... that it's not easy, but they can do it," said Rebecca Givan, a labor studies professor at Rutgers University. "We will likely see many, many more organizing drives."
Case of businessman using AI to generate false letters of complaint against Heaven nightclub part of a growing issue, say police A businessman has pleaded guilty to making false statements in orde...