Want a union card with your latte? Labor activity starts percolating at Starbucks

For some people, loyalty to a particular coffee brand rivals their devotion to a favorite college football team. Kathleen, my spouse, would crawl three miles over broken glass for her Starbucks Americano decaf. I favor QuikTrip and McDonald’s coffee. Within the last three months, employees at several Starbucks locations voted to unionize. Seem like isolated events? Don’t underestimate their significance.

Campaigns to unionize Starbucks

Last December, employees at a Starbucks store in Buffalo, New York, voted to recognize Workers United as their bargaining representative. The labor organization is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union. It was the first time one of Starbucks’ corporate-owned locations was unionized. The following month, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) certified a victory for a union at another Starbucks location in Buffalo.

Using social media and online meetings, Starbucks employees around the country began seeking advice from the Buffalo workers and filed petitions to unionize stores in Chicago, Boston, Cleveland, Seattle, and other cities. In February, employees in Mesa, Arizona, voted 25-to-3 to unionize their café. It was the third corporate-owned store voting in favor of union representation.

Starbucks is fighting back, trying to stay union-free. The employer has increased pay and promised better equipment and improved staffing. The employer is actively communicating with its workforce about the advantages of staying nonunion.

Why is this happening now?