Starbucks workers at Buffalo, N.Y. store unionize

After a monthslong battle, Starbucks workers in Buffalo, New York, supported efforts to unionize at least one cafe.

The result marks the first successful attempt in the U.S. at unionizing within the giant coffee chain since Starbucks went public nearly three decades ago and could send ripples through the restaurant industry.

Workers at the Elmwood Avenue location voted 19 to eight in favor of unionizing under Workers United New York, a branch of the Service Employees International Union.

“This win is the first step in changing what it means to be a partner at Starbucks, and what it means to work in the service industry more broadly,” Michelle Eisen, a Starbucks barista who has worked at the Elmwood location for 11 years, said in a statement. “With a union, we now have the ability to negotiate a contract that holds Starbucks accountable to be the company we know it can be, and gives us a real voice in our workplace.”

A second cafe, the Camp Road outlet, voted against a union, with eight workers in favor and 12 opposing. One ballot was declared void, while two were challenged by Starbucks or the union. The union also claimed that several submitted ballots were missing. The National Labor Relations Board had not released the vote tally for a third cafe on Thursday.

Results from the third cafe on Genesee Street were delayed because of challenged ballots. Fifteen workers voted to unionize, with nine against. Seven ballots are facing challenges, the majority of which came from the union over the eligibility of those voters.

“Today we saw a split vote in two stores in Buffalo with a third vote outcome pending,” Starbucks spokesman Reggie Borges told CNBC. “Every partner matters. It’s how we built the company. And how we will continue to run the company. We will continue to focus on the best Starbucks experience we can deliver for every partner and our customers.”

Shares of the company fell less than 1% in afternoon trading on the news.

A rare restaurant union

MKM Partners analyst Brett Levy wrote in a note to clients Thursday that he doesn’t think the unionizing move will have an immediate impact on Starbucks’ strategy or financial results. However, Levy said a more widespread push toward unionization could lead to additional pay hikes for workers at the chain. Levy added that Starbucks would be better positioned to absorb higher costs than its industry peers if the trend were to spread.

Unions are rare in the restaurant industry. Only 1.2% of workers at food and drinking outlets were members of unions last year, which is well below the private-sector unionization rate of 6.3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But a tight labor market has been encouraging increased efforts to organize. This year has seen union drives by Amazon workers and strikes by John Deere’s and Kellogg’s employees. But those efforts have not always yielded victories for labor unions.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., congratulated Starbucks Workers United for its victory on Twitter and wrote that cafe chain should stop “pouring money into the fight against the union and negotiate a fair contract now.”

After the vote count, the ballots will need to certified by the NLRB’s regional director, which could take up to a week. For the Genesee Street’s results, the regional director will have to examine any objections or challenges, which may require a hearing to resolve. The union may also object to the results for the Camp Road cafe, citing missing ballots from the count.

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[noracalugas]

I miss the original independent, Cafe's, that have LIVE stages, LIVE Poetry, LIVE Musicians, REAL Artists, Original Artwork

[jeffreyhall]

Kinda strange this hasn’t gotten more coverage?

[Frallicus]

Wait... starbucks..Starbucks... Buffalo, the one furry starting the unuon..union... this feeling like a theory is cracking

[bigsur]

This store is now Fd. Cup of $3 joe is now $8

[billnye]

A lot of grocery store chains are union and we didnt die so if they want to have help in negotiating benefits etc. I dont see why not.

[elbolillo]

Bet this doesn't go as planned. Just because you are union doesn't mean you're gonna make good money. You now have to pay union dues on top of it 🤣
You wanna make more? Be worth more.

[PianoMan-hxev]

Hey, it’s progressivism. Isn’t that what Starbucks stands behind?

[MightyCrazy]

One week later: All Starbucks in the Buffalo has closed down.

[petunialuna]

We are back over a hundred years for worker safety and rights. I will not cross a union line or sign. If a store I purchase from has a petition to the corporation that I will not buy from a store on strike or known to treat workers badly or union bust, I will gladly sign and honor that petition.

[drumfish]

Well done guys 👍 you’re becoming French 😂😂😂 we master striking, we know how to unionize… well done 👍
That being said, it was time to agnowledge the work that those « essential » people are doing… no workers no CEO 👍 victory ✌️

[eyeseverywhere]

Just close the store...and make people get their coffee somewhere else...

[eyeseverywhere]

Starbucks will crush that little teenie-weenie union....

[Johnjackjack]

So excited to see they will be paid what they are worth finally and kind of scared to see what will happen to the store

[googlebanmetoomuch]

Hope they plan on working at that store for the next 30yrs

[Deimos-Oso]

Unions aren't always best, sometimes Unions only look out for their own interests, not the worker. Hopefully this is one of those cases where union actually benifts the workers.

[DjKryx]

The whole Europe works on base of unions. And no, the prices did not jump up 200%. That's why you can have people working there for their whole life and live of it. Workers are more important than the business

[freshfloorstulsa]

Thank you Starbucks! Let's go for other cities Starbucks! Unionize! Going to all my local Starbucks and promote unionization so the employee have representation. Also will promote it on social media since the alleged news agencies are trying to bury the story. Think we might bring it to the streets.