Starbucks Employees Consider Unionizing

Starbucks Employees , Consider Unionizing.

Starbucks Employees , Consider Unionizing.

NPR News reports Starbucks employees in Upstate New York are considering forming a union.

Unionized employees would be a first for any of the multinational coffee chain's franchises in the United States.

So far, Starbucks has staved off employees' efforts to unionize in New York City and Philadelphia.

So far, Starbucks has staved off employees' efforts to unionize in New York City and Philadelphia.

Though unionization had long felt unrealistic to many Starbucks employees in Upstate New York, the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have altered expectations.

With the pandemic, [and] all of the labor shortages across the nation, it was finally the perfect storm, where for once we weren't disposable as food service employees anymore.

, Lexi Rizzo, Starbucks employee, via NPR News.

With the pandemic, [and] all of the labor shortages across the nation, it was finally the perfect storm, where for once we weren't disposable as food service employees anymore.

, Lexi Rizzo, Starbucks employee, via NPR News.

The Buffalo-area employees face difficult odds, as food service stands among the least-unionized sectors of the United States economy.

Starbucks operates 8,953 locations in the United States.

Starbucks operates 8,953 locations in the United States.

Labor experts say success in the Buffalo area could open the door to more Starbucks workers in America lobbying for unionization.

Labor experts say success in the Buffalo area could open the door to more Starbucks workers in America lobbying for unionization.

It would be a huge win for workers if even one of the Starbucks stores in Buffalo succeeds in organizing.

, Rebecca Givan, professor of labor studies at Rutgers University, via NPR News .

It would be a huge win for workers if even one of the Starbucks stores in Buffalo succeeds in organizing.

, Rebecca Givan, professor of labor studies at Rutgers University, via NPR News .

We will likely see many more organizing drives.

Not all of them will be successful, but workers will start to see that there is a path and that they can succeed.

, Rebecca Givan, professor of labor studies at Rutgers University, via NPR News .

We will likely see many more organizing drives.

Not all of them will be successful, but workers will start to see that there is a path and that they can succeed.

, Rebecca Givan, professor of labor studies at Rutgers University, via NPR News