The president of Workers United, the union that has been organizing Starbucks stores, is urging the coffee chain to come to the bargaining table, consolidating negotiations into one table instead of hundreds. Workers United has been working to negotiate first contracts for more than 300 Starbucks locations that have formed unions since the end of 2021. However, Starbucks has insisted that each store should negotiate its own contract. Lynne Fox, the union’s president, stated that Starbucks should agree to a broad contract that sets a national minimum wage, among other provisions. Fox sent a letter to Starbucks, calling for the company to get serious about a nationwide deal. Starbucks workers have unionized for the first time since 2021, and it takes an average of over a year for new unions to bargain for their first contract. Starbucks has been accused of unfair labor practice charges, including refusal to bargain with workers at a significant number of stores. The union has won 315 elections, or 81% of those held, according to the NLRB.
Starbucks Union Calls for Company to Negotiate a Nationwide Contract
