The union, which represents Starbucks workers, continues to grow each week.
Employees at all three coffee chains in Ithaca, New York, voted almost unanimously to join the Workers United union on Friday. The election results in the top three stores were 19-1, 13-1 and 15-1.
Meanwhile, store workers in Overland Park in Kansas voted 6-1 for the union, although many ballots were contested and the result could still be changed. The union said it hopes to win after the National Labor Relations Council, the federal agency that oversees union elections, considered the disputed voting powers.
The election victory came on Friday after three more victories the day before, when workers from a group of Starbucks stores in New York’s Buffalo and Rochester districts voted to join. After counting the votes this week, the campaign known as Starbucks Workers United won 16 elections and lost just one and now represents hundreds of workers in various states.
About the fact that the campaign took the election 200 stores nationwide, Meaning many more will choose to join. Starbucks has approximately 9,000 corporate stores in the United States and is the first country in the country to have union representation.
Prominent union supporters, including Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) And Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Hailed the campaign on its success on Friday and Sanders called it “A great source of inspiration for workers across the country. “
Three more big wins @SBWorkersUnited! This movement of workers who stood up and asserted their rights to dignity and respect for service has been a great source of inspiration for workers across the country. To move on! https://t.co/qJYPQk17Jo
– Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 8, 2022
Starbucks opposed the union campaign and held meetings with workers urging them to vote against the union. The company succeeded Postponement of the election Appeal to the NLRB, arguing that workers should vote in elections on a regional basis and not in individual stores, but the Labor Council rejected Starbucks ’arguments.
The company fired several employee union activists, including seven from stores in Memphis, Tennessee. Workers United filed a lawsuit with the Labor Council saying the dismissal was retaliation and aimed to clean up the union of union supporters. Starbucks said it fired Memphis employees because they violated company policies and allowed non -employees to work outside the store.
Bloomberg reported Friday that the Labor Council decided to liberate Memphis This is against the law And he plans to sue Starbucks if the company doesn’t decide to negotiate. The actions of the Labor Council could lead to the return of workers to work.
“The Starbucks campaign has called union elections in about 200 stores nationwide.”
The Starbucks campaign began last year in Buffalo, where union workers joined The first store In December. The organization’s efforts have spread like wildfire since the union announces new election petitions each week.
Longtime CEO Howard Schultz returned recently to lead the company as it struggles to get along. In a recent interview with staff, Schultz said he was not anti-union, but described the union’s campaign. In vague words.
“We can’t ignore what’s happening in the country, because it applies to companies across the country that have been attacked, in many ways, because of the threat of annexation,” he said.
The Starbucks union effort coincides with Amazon’s growing organizational campaign. The tech giant just saw its first warehouse in the United States Unity When workers at the JFK8 facility in Staten Island, New York voted From 2654 to 2131 Support joining the new Amazon syndicate. Workers there Overcome an intense union campaign Made by Amazon managers and external consultants.
Amazon has already indicated that it wants to fight the vote and cancel the election results.
Source: Huffpost
