Baristas at Starbucks (SBUX) A coffee shop in Arizona on Friday became the third store to vote for union representation, the latest in a Rising wave of organized labor payments In multiple locations across US cities.
Mesa Café, Arizona is one of dozens of coffee shops Inspired by last year’s vote in Buffalo. This site became the first Starbucks workers to vote to represent unions, in the face of Giant opposition open coffee. After the eligible votes were counted, 25 workers at the Mesa site voted in favor of the measure, compared to 3 who voted against it.
However, three votes were contested and two were deemed ineligible, while another was not clear about the workers’ eligibility.
“I’m so excited,” said Tyler Ralston, a barista at Mesa’s Power and Baseline. “This is huge for the whole country for all Starbucks workers around the world. It takes this from the East Coast all the way to the West Coast.”
The barista added, “I’m very proud and I think the numbers reflect how we all feel across the entire store. It’s a crushing victory. This is a victory for workers’ rights for workers’ rights.”
This vote was originally scheduled to take place last week, but the election was postponed after Starbucks submitted a request for review with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
The Seattle coffee giant argued that no single store should be allowed to hold a vote, and instead, the voting should include all locations in the area designated for that store. However, on Wednesday the council rejected the request, arguing that they did not see any problems.
After the votes are counted, the ballot papers must be certified by the NLRB’s regional director, which can take up to a week. But the challenge remains: negotiate a contract with Starbucks.
The Starbucks Workers’ Union (SWU), a group that advocates for its union-seeking workers, now represents baristas at three Starbucks stores, after a successful campaign at two chain locations in the Buffalo, New York area.
More than 100 locations across 26 states have petitioned for union elections since Buffalo’s first three boroughs moved to union voting in late 2021.
To be sure, the number of stores considering joining unions is a small fraction of Starbucks’ nearly 9,000 locations in the United States, which employ approximately 230,000 workers, also known as partners. About 3,500 of the chain’s licensed US stores are affiliated with unions — which include those in hotels, grocery stores and travel yards.
Starbucks insisted it would respect the legal process, but it did Launch a website Target workers who are considering unions.
“We don’t believe having a union will meaningfully change or solve the problems you’ve identified in your stores,” the company said. “We know we’re not perfect, but we believe the best way to meet our challenges is to work together.”
While the Union effort has spread across states, it has yet to affect the bottom line, with The company reported a strong holiday season It has record profits.
Employment contract negotiations between the coffee company and SWU have begun in Buffalo, with both sides indicating that discussions are still in the initial stage. Baristas at a local store are waiting for a decision from the NLRB on Company request for review– Which delayed the counting of votes on Wednesday.
Starbucks shares rose to $92.58 at the closing bell on Friday, with the stock down 22% this year.
Danny Romero, Yahoo Finance reporter. Follow her on Twitter: Tweet embed
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