500 Starbucks locations have voted to unionize

Baristas at a Starbucks in Bellingham, Washington, became the 500th store to join the Starbucks Workers United union on Monday.

Since the first location voted to unionize in 2021, more than 11,000 baristas have joined the union, according to a Tuesday press release.

“This milestone is a testament to workers building power from the ground up,” said Lynne Fox, president of Workers United. “Starbucks partners have boldly demanded a voice on the job and with it, strong contracts that ensure respect, living wages, racial and gender equity, fair scheduling and more.”

The union and Starbucks announced together in February that negotiations would be taking place through a collaborative process to work toward a foundational framework. They have been meeting at the bargaining table monthly since April, and 100 new locations have successfully unionized in the past six months, the union said.

CEO Brian Niccol, who assumed the coffee chain’s top spot in September, said last week that the company is committed to bargaining in good faith with the union as the two sides work to craft a labor deal. The framework they are negotiating would be the basis for collective bargaining agreements between individual stores and the company.

Both the union and Starbucks noted that negotiations have been productive and have advanced measures.

Baristas from the Bellingham location sent a letter to Niccol outlining their reasons for organizing.

“Starbucks’ ultimate success in rebuilding hinges on whether we as baristas have the support we need to do our jobs well so that, in turn, we can ensure customers enjoy their Starbucks experience and keep coming back,” they wrote.

In a statement, a Starbucks spokesperson said “we respect our partners rights to have a choice on the topic of unions,” and added that “we are proud of the progress we have made on bargaining and are committed to continuing to work together to achieve our shared goals.”