Starbucks workers at Marquette University store plan to form union. Here's how the effort fits into national trend.
Starbucks workers at a store near Marquette University announced they plan to form a union, following other workers in the coffee chain around the nation.
The branch, located at 1610 W. Wisconsin. Ave., sent a letter to Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan saying "our cafe has long provided a unique place for students, business, and community to gather in a space that is safe and respectful to all."
"Unfortunately, the seams have split and we can no longer provide this service to our community due to gross mismanagement and mistreatment within our walls," the letter said. "We cannot craft the Starbucks standard of beverages when our tools are in constant disrepair, and the absence of necessary items is being ignored."
The workers filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board and plan to organize with Starbucks Workers United.
In a statement, Starbucks said the company has "made more than $1.4 billion in investments over the past year to improve the experience in our stores and for our partners."
"We recognize that a subset of partners feel differently and we respect their right to organize and to engage in lawful union activities without fear of reprisal or retaliation," the company said.
"As a next step, we welcome the opportunity for partners at our West Wisconsin & 16th location at Marquette University in Milwaukee to vote in a neutral, secret ballot election conducted by the NLRB, which allows all partners to make their own informed decision regarding union representation."
Starbucks said it is "committed to following all protocols outlined by the NLRB in advance of a union representation election, including compliance with all notice posting and voting list requirements."
In April 2022, Starbucks workers in Oak Creek became the first location in the state to unionize, joining hundreds of other locations across the country.
"After months, and for some, years, of being disrespected and ignored by upper management, our partners are tired of looking to them for solutions," Ian Shurbet, barista at the Marquette branch, said in a statement. "We’ve been inevitably led to the formation of a union, one that can provide the security that our coworkers and friends have been asking to have for far too long."
According to Starbucks Workers United, since 2021 more than 380 Starbucks stores in 42 states, including Washington, D.C., have successfully formed unions.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Starbucks workers at Marquette University location plan to form union
