Starbucks, Union Talks Signal Breakthrough

Despite having fought against unionization for the past two years, Starbucks now appears willing to work with the union, holding implications for other U.S. businesses and their unions, including Trader Joe’s and Amazon, reports The Guardian.

Starbucks and its union in a joint announcement last month expressed their willingness to work on “a constructive path forward” on “the future of organizing and collective bargaining.” The union said Tuesday that it will begin in-person bargaining with the coffee chain in April with the goal of achieving a “foundational framework agreement,” according to the report.

“It’s incredibly significant that Starbucks has finally agreed to a framework for working with the union,” said Richard Bensinger, who was an adviser to the Starbucks union when it won its first unionization elections. “This will send a message to other workers that organizing can succeed.”

A lawyer for the Amazon Labor Union said that the news is promising for other unions around the country but will likely not change Amazon’s stance.

“It would have a positive effect for Amazon workers because they would see that unionization works,” he said. “But I don’t know if it will change Amazon’s union-busting policies.”

Trader Joe’s union leader Sarah Beth Ryther also sees Starbucks’ willingness to work with its union as a win for other unions seeking to do the same.

“If Starbucks workers are able to get a contract, that changes the whole narrative about what’s possible,” she said. Full Story