Starbucks and the union representing more than 10,000 of its employees returned to the bargaining table Wednesday for the first time in nearly a year, the latest in a years-long battle between the coffee giant and its organized workers. It was a pivotal moment.
150 company representatives and representatives from the union Workers United met at an undisclosed location in Atlanta to begin negotiating a union contract framework for each of the more than 400 unionized stores.
The two sides last spoke on May 23 and have spent months blaming each other for the impasse. During that time, workers staged several strikes to win seats on Starbucks' board of directors, and the company sued the union over its use of the Starbucks logo.
The conflict eased in February when both sides issued a joint statement announcing their return to the negotiating table. Michelle Eisen, a longtime barista at Starbucks in Buffalo, which was the first company-owned store to unionize during the current campaign, said she was optimistic the company would negotiate in good faith.
“It's been a long time in the past few years, but I feel like there's a general feeling of lightness and a little bit of lightness now,” Eisen said. “All signs point in a positive direction.”
Reflecting the new stance, more than 250 union members will attend Wednesday's meeting virtually, a measure to ensure all workers' voices are heard. Last year, the union said, Starbucks insisted that negotiations be fully in-person.
The union is demanding higher wages and improved safety standards, among other things. Once both sides agree on the general outline, each store will vote to ratify the contract individually. Separate agreements would allow companies and workers to raise issues that could vary by region and type of store, such as which stores have drive-through windows and which stores are located in malls.
Starbucks employees began organizing at three Buffalo-area stores in 2021. Since the movement began, the National Labor Relations Board has filed numerous complaints accusing Starbucks of taking steps to resist organizing efforts, charges the company denies.
When Starbucks and the union announced they were returning to the bargaining table, the company announced that starting in 2022, unionized stores would receive benefits such as credit card tips.
“Unions have brought management to the bargaining table,” said Eric Brann, a professor at Rutgers University who studies labor movements. “The scale and ferocity of the union-busting movement is unparalleled in modern labor history. The fact that workers were able to overcome it is truly historic.”
Starbucks is open to restarting negotiations with unions nearly a year after Laxman Narasimhan took over as chief executive. He succeeds longtime CEO Howard Schultz, who has said unions are incompatible with Starbucks' business model.
In March, a coalition of unions, including Workers United, ended its campaign to add members to Starbucks' board of directors, saying in a statement that “it's time to recognize the progress we've made and focus on the company and its employees.” In moving forward. ”
The trade union alliance also said it had had “meaningful dialogue” with shareholders, which it believes the company is moving to improve relations with employees.