Starbucks workers at Durham NC shop approve union, bringing trend to the Triangle
A Starbucks shop in Durham became the first in the Triangle to join more than 370 Starbucks stores[1] nationwide in forming a union. On Monday, the store’s baristas and shift supervisors approved the union by a tally of 16 to 2. Their shop is located in the Renaissance Shopping Center across the road from the Streets at Southpoint mall.
With the election win, the pay and working conditions of the 23-member staff will be collectively bargained by Workers United, which has recently spearheaded mass organizing efforts at Starbucks. The Durham victory occurred nearly two years to the day[2] the first U.S. Starbucks voted to unionize in Buffalo, NY.
Unionized workers have the right to strike over economic conditions or alleged unfair labor practices. On Nov.
16, thousands of employees across more than 200 stores staged a walkout[3] on “Red Cup Day,” one of the chain’s most popular sales day of the year. The Durham election was the seventh at a North Carolina Starbucks, where results for Workers United have been mixed.
The union had previously won twice — in Boone and Wilmington — but has had four failed campaigns in Raleigh[4], Durham, Moore County and Asheville. “It has been a more difficult state for our region,” said Camden Mitchell, a regional Starbucks organizer for Workers United. “It’s a store-by-store campaign and a store-by-store scenario.”
In 2022, North Carolina again came second-to-last[5] for union membership, ahead of only South Carolina (2023 state rankings come out next month.) North Carolina is a right-to-work state, which means no employees have to pay union dues even if the union represents their workforce. Mitchell said scheduling concerns have motivated Starbucks staff to seek unions. “Inconsistent shifts,” he said. “Issues with overworking because of understaffed stores, particularly around this time of year during their peak seasons.”
In a statement to The News & Observer, Starbucks said “as a company, we believe that our direct relationship as partners is core to the culture and experiences we create in our stores.” Story continues However, the company acknowledged “that a subset of partners feels differently.”
‘We really feel the power’: Durham REI workers vote to unionize after strike[6]
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References
- ^ 370 Starbucks stores (apnews.com)
- ^ nearly two years to the day (apnews.com)
- ^ staged a walkout (apnews.com)
- ^ in Raleigh (www.newsobserver.com)
- ^ second-to-last (www.newsobserver.com)
- ^ ‘We really feel the power’: Durham REI workers vote to unionize after strike (www.newsobserver.com)
- ^ here (t.news.newsobserver.com)