Restaurant News Hubb
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Restaurants & Services
  • Contact us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Restaurants & Services
  • Contact us
No Result
View All Result
Restaurant News Hubb
No Result
View All Result
Home Restaurants & Services

200th Starbucks unit votes to unionize

admin by admin
July 28, 2022
in Restaurants & Services


Photograph: Shutterstock

Exactly 11 months after employees of three Starbucks units in central New York notified management of their intention to unionize, Starbucks Workers United revealed that it is now officially representing the staffs of 200 stores within the chain’s domestic operation.

The union, an affiliate of the powerful Service Employees International Union (SEIU), said its 200th victory came Friday, when the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said employees of a store in Cleveland had voted 11-9 to organize.

Starbucks Workers has not revealed the number of unionization votes it has lost, but the known instances indicate the victories outnumber the defeats by 4 or 5 to 1.

It hit the 200-store milestone as another labor powerbroker, the United Brotherhood of Teamsters, is affiliating itself with a fledgling drive to organize Chipotle Mexican Grill. Two units of that chain have petitioned the NLRB for a green light to vote on representation by Chipotle Workers United.

Chipotle killed the chances of unionizing one of those stores by closing it, saying it cannot find enough new hires within the unit’s remote Maine market to sustain operations.

The second unit is in Lansing, Mich., a union stronghold.

Pro-union Chipotle workers have said publicly that the chain is worried it may be facing an organizing drive similar to the one that spread through Starbucks. The Mexican chain has maintained in statements that “werespect our employees’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act and are committed to ensuring a fair, just, and humane work environment that provides opportunities for all.”

A number of small restaurant chains, mostly in the coffee market, have voted to unionize since the workers at three Starbucks units in Buffalo, N.Y., aired their plan to organize on Aug. 23, 2021. In a number of those instances, the employees said they were inspired by the actions of the Buffalo baristas, who in turn say they were roused into action by the unionization of a local Starbucks rival, Spot Coffee.

Several defensive strategies have been evident in Starbucks’ actions since the three Buffalo stores began their push for collective bargaining.

Initially, the coffee chain dispatched a number of high-level executives to the market, including North American EVP Rossann Williams, for meetings with employees. That effort led to accusations from some workers that the VIP visitors were there to spy on them and derail the organizing effort.

The same approach was used in other markets where employees announced their plans to form a union.

Starbucks subsequently announced that Williams was leaving the company after being offered another position, and that CEO Kevin Johnson was retiring. He was replaced by former CEO and the longtime driving force behind the brand, Howard Schultz.

Schultz has been both confrontational and solicitous in his dealings with pro-union employees. He has played up the chain’s distinctive benefits, such as education assistance and mental health, while not hiding his desire to keep the union out of the system.

More recently, Starbucks has emphasized a commitment to safeguarding employees. It recently announced the permanent closure of 16 stores where the home office could not guarantee the personal safety of baristas. Schultz has also spoken of a new commitment to protecting staff.

In announcing the union’s victory at a 200th store, Starbucks Workers United did not reveal how many units are awaiting a decision from the NLRB on when a vote might be scheduled. The most recent indication was that 100 to 150 stores have yet hear.

With nearly 10,000 company-run units just in the United States, only a minute portion of Starbucks’ domestic operations have been unionized. But the tally nonetheless represents the strongest union presence within any major U.S. restaurant chain.

The next closest may be Spot, which lists 23 locations on its website.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.





Source link

Tags: laborNewsunions
Previous Post

Boston Hospitality Veteran Bruno Marini Joins Tavistock Restaurant Collection as Area Director of New England Restaurants

Next Post

Digital sales soaring at Wingstop

Next Post

Digital sales soaring at Wingstop

Recommended

Nunzio’s Pizzeria Will Close After 80 Years in Staten Island

August 10, 2022

Sweetgreen’s digital guru keynoting Fast Casual Executive Summit

July 29, 2022

Restaurant Technology News Partners with Yelp to Promote Waitlist and Reservations Software with $100 Gift Cards – Plus $1,800 in Free Yelp Ads

August 8, 2022

Robots deliver food, beverages to customers at Korean airport

July 27, 2022

Don't miss it

Restaurants & Services

DippinDots debuts Times Square location

August 19, 2022
News

Using AI and Machine Learning to Test Innovative Employee Communication and Scheduling Models

August 18, 2022
Restaurants & Services

On pumpkin spice, plant-based meat and Milk Bar

August 18, 2022
News

Smokin’ Oak Wood-Fired Pizza & Taproom Makes Texas Debut

August 18, 2022
News

Jean-Georges Vongerichten Opens the Tin Building in NYC

August 18, 2022

restaurant-20

© 2022 Restaurant News Hubb All rights reserved.

Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement unless specified. By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy.

Navigate Site

  • Home
  • News
  • Restaurants & Services
  • Contact us

Newsletter Sign Up

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Restaurants & Services
  • Contact us

© 2022 Restaurent News Hubb All rights reserved.