The first unionized Starbucks in Florida was made official on Tuesday, May 3rd, with the store employees’ 16-1 vote. Starbucks, located on North Monroe Street and John Knox Road, confirmed its victory in a press release issued by Starbucks Workers United.
More than 240 Starbucks stores have filed union petitions across 33 states since December 2021. The North Monroe Street location is the 55th Starbucks to win a union vote, and a total of 63 sites have had their votes counted.
In the next several weeks, six Florida stores will be voting.
“We are listening and learning from the partners in these stores as we always do across the country. From the beginning, we’ve been clear in our belief that we are better together as partners without a union between us, and that conviction has not changed. We respect our partner’s right to organize and are committed to following the NLRB process,” according to a statement issued to WCTV by a Starbucks spokesperson before the vote.
On the same day the Tallahassee Starbucks won their union victory, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced all Starbucks employees would be receiving new benefits, including additional training, improved sick leave, and credit card tips. However, those unionized employees or those currently organizing will not receive the benefits.
“We do not have the same freedom to make these improvements at locations that have a union or where union organizing is underway,” Schultz said on a conference call with shareholders on Tuesday.
Also, on August 1st, all employees, including unionized stores, will receive a wage increase as promised last October. The increase will be $15 an hour or a 3% raise, depending on which is higher for each employee.
Starbucks has continually prided itself on the benefits provided to its employees, offering health care, stock options, retirement, and free college tuition to both full-time and part-time employees. Schultz stated no union contract would compare to what Starbucks has offered its employees for decades. However, since December 2021, the push for a union at Starbucks stores has spread like wildfire.
According to the Labor Department, food and drink establishments are among the least unionized in the country, at just over 1%.
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I can get coffee/cappuccino for an ENTIRE MONTH for $6 with the Sip ‘n Save at Circle K. Why on earth anyone would pay that or more for one cup on one day confounds me.
Credit card tips ouch. Hello $8 coffee. Goodbye me.
To vote 16-1 in favor of unionization tells me there was likely management that treated people badly in some or many ways.
@ David T. Hawkins …….. You beat me to it. PLUS, wait until they find out that the Union Dues will go up soon AND they have to give up going to Spring Break. The Union OWNS them now.
“According to the Labor Department, food and drink establishments are among the least unionized in the country, at just over 1%.” ………… Probably because they have the highest Employee Turn over of any other Industry.
!!!Yeah we just joined a union because its the wokey woke leftist thing to do!!!
!!!Yea Us!!!
Wait what do you mean we just $hitted ourselves out of some benifits????