Dozens of Starbucks Locations Attempting Unionization, Following Success in Buffalo, N.Y.

The Elmwood Avenue Starbucks in Buffalo, N.Y. is now the home of the first ever union within the company. The attempt, petitioned in the mid-summer of 2021, saw success after its lengthy election process, and became a source of inspiration for what is now two dozen other Starbucks locations across the U.S. Although Starbucks ultimately agreed to respect and acknowledge any unions formed or attempted to form, they warn that unionizing could have many adverse effects and even lead to a division between the workforce that often travels between chain stores depending on labor needs.

Elections were announced after worsened working conditions caused by COVID-19, according to the Buffalo Starbucks, with severe understaffing and pay issues. With only 1.2% of the country’s food service employees unionized, the results of Buffalo’s successful unionization attempt seemed to naturally cause locations facing similar problems to work out election dates and bargain with Starbucks Workers United for guidance.

Among the stores working towards unionizing is Power and Baseline, which, if approved, would be the the first unionized Starbucks in Arizona. Suffering similar issues as the other stores, the store was inclined to begin the process in sympathy of their manager who was forced to take unpaid medical time off, quoting, “They said fine, schedule more days with shorter shifts. The expectation was still for me to work 40 hours … At this point, I thought, this job is going to kill me. I physically cannot do this job.” Election ballots for this case are due on February 2nd.

The impact Buffalo’s Starbucks had on its peers, and even on similar coffee chains, is undeniable, and many food service workers are now looking forward to a more liberated era among employees empowered by the unionization process.

This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group Blog. If you are in need of legal aid, CIMA Law Group is a law firm in Phoenix, Arizona which possesses expertise in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.