In the last couple of weeks workers at Starbucks locations in Baltimore, Michigan and California have joined those in Cleveland, Chicago, Tennessee, Colorado, Arizona, Boston and Seattle in seeking to unionize.
Starbucks location in Mesa, Arizona with a union drive underway
When we last looked at the growing Starbucks union wave in the United States, a second location in Buffalo's union certification had been confirmed and organizing drives had been announced in Cleveland, Chicago, Tennessee, Colorado, Arizona, Boston and Seattle.
In the last couple of weeks since them the union momentum has continued to gain steam.
As the Real News Network reported January 27:
Workers at a Starbucks coffee shop in Baltimore City’s Mount Vernon neighborhood recently announced that they were organizing their workplace, joining a swell of labor action in different sectors by workers who have been emboldened amid worsening workplace conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The workers are demanding better wages, better working conditions, and scheduling stability from the corporate giant, which markets itself as a pioneer in corporate and social responsibility. They have sought representation through Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) that’s helping to unionize Starbucks workers around the country.
On the same day KSBW Action News noted:
Santa Cruz Starbucks workers filed a union petition with the National Labor Relations Board last Friday, becoming the first store in California to do so.
Twenty-two out of 31 employees at the Starbucks located on Ocean and Water Street signed union cards, Joseph Thompson, the lead organizer and the store’s shift supervisor said.
And on January 28 news emerged that:
Four Starbucks locations across Michigan are joining the movement to unionize.
Locations in Ann Arbor, Grand Blanc and Clinton Township sent a letter to Starbucks corporate announcing the unionization effort this week. The stores join the ranks of more than 30 other locations across the country where Starbucks workers are petitioning for a union election.
As this video relates, a second Mesa, Arizona location is also trying to unionize, but workers at the first Mesa location are facing the type of union-busting efforts workers can always expect: