Starbucks, Union Agree On ‘Path Forward’ To Work Together
HuffPost
Both sides said they had reached a breakthrough after two years of organizing and bargaining battles.
Starbucks and the union representing workers at hundreds of its stores said Tuesday they had agreed upon a “path forward” to negotiate collective bargaining agreements and develop “a fair process for workers to organize.”
Both the union, Workers United, and the coffee chain described the accord as a major breakthrough after two years of nonstop organizing and legal battles. Roughly 400 of Starbucks’ 9,000 corporate-owned U.S. stores have joined the union since late 2021 in one of the most high-profile labor campaigns in years.
Sara Kelly, Starbucks’ top human resources officer, wrote in a letter to employees Tuesday that the company was in talks with the union to create a “foundational framework” for contracts at those stores. None have collective bargaining agreements yet, and until now the union has accused the company of bargaining in bad faith.
“It is a clear demonstration of our intent to build a constructive relationship with Workers United in the interests of our partners,” Kelly wrote.
Starbucks said it hoped to negotiate contracts for union stores by the end of the year.
