Starbucks Workers Win Union at 500th US Shop

Working-class allies including labor groups celebrated on Tuesday after Starbucks Workers United announced that employees of the coffee giant had made their Washington state shop the 500th U.S. location to unionize since late 2021.

"CONGRATS to Starbucks partners at Old Fairhaven Parkway and 30th in Bellingham... who make history as the 500th location to organize with Starbucks Workers United!" the organization said on social media.

The post featured a photo of three people holding "500" balloons and a video of one partner—as company employees are called—saying, "I'm excited to be part of the union."

"I'm excited to work with all the other stores, and sit across [from] Starbucks at the bargaining table, and to hopefully make a better future for all the partners, and to be just a part of something much bigger," the worker explained.

Groups including the AFL-CIO, Chicago Federation of Labor, New York City Central Labor Council, Service Employees International Union Local 721, 1199SEIU, and Strategic Organizing Center congratulated the Starbucks workers on the milestone.

In a video posted on social media on Tuesday, SEIU president April Verrett also congratulated "all of the amazing leaders at Starbucks Workers United who have stood together" and are now celebrating a victory at the 500th store in the nation.

"What started as a feisty little movement in Buffalo is now 10,000 baristas strong—and that's not an accident," she continued, citing the first win in New York state. "That is because of your hard work, your tenacity, your resilience, and your can-do spirit. Now that we're at 500, let's get on to 1,000."

"At the same time, your co-workers are at the table banging out what's gonna be a historic agreement that's gonna be the framework for all 500 stores and counting," she added. "I am so incredibly proud to stand in solidarity with all of you all. Onward to the next 500 stores. Let's go get it."

Workers United president Lynne Fox said Tuesday that "this milestone is a testament to workers building power from the ground up."

"Starbucks partners have boldly demanded a voice on the job and with it, strong contracts that ensure respect, living wages, racial and gender equity, fair scheduling, and more," Fox said in a statement to CNBC.

While Starbucks has repeatedly been accused of violating workers' rights—and its new CEO, Brian Niccol, has a history of union-busting—a company spokesperson told CNBC that "we respect our partners' rights to have a choice on the topic of unions," and "we are proud of the progress we have made on bargaining and are committed to continuing to work together to achieve our shared goals."

Organizers' ongoing progress at Starbucks comes amid soaring public support for unions. As Common Dreamsreported in August, an annual Gallup Labor Day poll revealed that 70% of Americans approve of labor unions, versus just 23% who disapprove.

As Verrett said in response to the polling this summer, "Together, we are strong."