Unionized Starbucks workers sat down with the company Wednesday for the first round of bargaining since the coffee giant agreed to contract talks this year.
A total of 150 union delegates chosen from unionized Starbucks stores bargained in person with company executives, with hundreds more tuning in from around the country. According to the union, the day was spent bargaining over wages, health and safety concerns, scheduling issues and benefit improvements for rank-and-file workers.
The bargaining session was one step in a long road to a contract for Starbucks Workers United, representing thousands of employees in hundreds of coffee shops in the U.S. Any contract reached during negotiations with Starbucks must be ratified by individual stores.
The negotiations come after years of bitter fighting between Starbucks and its unionized workers. Since the first Starbucks location unionized in 2021, the company has sounded off against unionization, saying it’s an improper fit for the Seattle-based firm.
The company’s opposition to the union brought federal investigations and accusations from regulators who say the company sought to illegally crush worker organization.
Efforts to begin bargaining with Starbucks were fraught with tension. Both sides accused the other of failing to negotiate in good faith, leading to hundreds of unionized stores sitting without a contract for years.
But in February, Starbucks changed its tune, announcing it agreed to begin negotiations with Starbucks Workers United to end hostilities.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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