Tension between union and Starbucks escalates as baristas strike at Capitol Hill shop
Pro-union baristas at Starbucks' Capitol Hill Reserve Roastery went on strike Sunday, calling on the company to recognize its union and causing the store to temporarily close.
The coffee shop at 1124 Pike St. is one of six flagship roasteries in the world. In April, it became the second to approve a union, with a 38-27 vote. Though last week, Starbucks Corp. (Nasdaq: SBUX) said it plans to challenge those results, arguing that the mail-in-only voting method discouraged participation. Of the 104 eligible voters, 65 ballots were counted.
"Every partner vote — and voice — deserves to be heard," the company said in a statement. "It is clear that the mail ballot election at the Seattle Roastery resulted in a significant disenfranchisement of the Starbucks partners there."
The demonstration from baristas is one of dozens that have unfolded across the country, including multiple in Seattle, as the relationship between Starbucks and some of its workers continues to sour. So far, baristas at more than 250 coffee shops have filed for union elections, with more than 100 approving representation, putting the Seattle coffee giant at the center of a growing labor movement.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2022/07/18/starbucks-baristas-strike-at-flagship-roastery.html
Starbucks union workers say union busting, not safety is the cause for store closures
Starbucks union workers argue the closing of five Seattle stores is not linked to safety concerns.
More than a dozen employees marched outside the coffee shop on Olive Way in Capitol Hill, which is among the two union shops slated to close. Signs in hand, they chanted that union busting is the true motive.
Starbucks corporate says any claims of retaliation are unequivocally false.
A spokesperson tells KIRO 7 the shops are closing based on how many crime-related complaints were logged at each and that rates of drug use, theft and assault were considered. The spokesperson says the decision has nothing to do with two (Olive Way in Capitol Hill and Fifth Avenue in the International District) of the five locations being union shops.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/starbucks-union-workers-say-union-busting-not-safety-is-the-cause-for-store-closures/ar-AAZDAQs