Baristas at a Starbucks in Bellingham, Washington, became the 500th store to join the Starbucks Workers United union on Monday. Since the first store unionized in 2021, more than 11,000 baristas have become members, according to a press release issued on Tuesday.
Lynne Fox, president of Workers United, praised the workers for building power from the ground up and demanding respect, living wages, racial and gender equity, and fair scheduling.
The union and Starbucks have been in ongoing negotiations since February, aiming to create a foundational framework for labor contracts. CEO Brian Niccol, who took over in September, emphasized that Starbucks is committed to bargaining in good faith.
The two sides have met monthly since April, and 100 new stores have unionized in the last six months. Both the company and union described the negotiations as productive, with measures being advanced toward a final agreement.
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