Starbucks employees are unionizing across the country, and Texas is the latest state to join the trend.
Workers in Buffalo, New York, first catalyzed the movement when baristas at two stores agreed to unionize last year. Employees in stores across the country then began considering unionization, following the example set by New York.
As of now, 129 Starbucks stores in 26 states have filed union petitions, according to the Twitter account for the Buffalo Starbucks’ union, Starbucks Workers United.
Four of them are in Texas: two in Austin and two in San Antonio.
According to staff, they are unionizing to bargain for increased benefits. Their requests include extended training periods, regular working hours, and higher wages.
The employees of one of the Austin stores wrote a letter to Starbucks’ CEO stating they love their work and appreciate their current benefits. However, the workers claimed that the culture they love and the trust they place in Starbucks’ leadership have eroded in the past couple of years.
They argued that the company should prioritize its employees’ best interests and implement a wage increase that reflects the cost of living in Texas. In October of last year, Starbucks increased its minimum wage to $15 an hour. The wage increase will take effect in the summer.
The Starbucks store in San Antonio was the first Texas store to join the Starbucks Workers United Union. Before they decided to unionize, the San Antonio store had already given its employees a collective voice to express team members’ concerns and needs. The employees wrote that they wanted their practices to be formally legalized and protected so they could continue to advocate for each other’s ideas.
Because Starbucks has not officially recognized the union, the San Antonio store employees must sign union cards and file for the National Labor Relations Board election.
Starbucks responded to its employees’ move to unionize by releasing a statement saying it believes employees and leadership would work better without a union.
“From the beginning, we’ve been clear in our belief that we do not want a union between us as partners, and that conviction has not changed. However, we have also said that we respect the legal process,” said Starbucks Executive Vice President Rossan Williams. “This means we will bargain in good faith with the union that represents partners in the one Buffalo store that voted in favor of union representation. Our hope is that union representatives also come to the table with mutual good faith, respect, and positive intent.”
Williams went on to state that the company stands for fairness and equity for their partners as well as growing and learning together.
