BLOOMINGTON – Starbucks officials released a statement following the Bloomington store union petition.
“We believe that our direct relationship as partners is core to the experiences we create in our stores, and we respect our partners’ rights to have a choice on the topic of unions,” officials wrote. “We are committed to delivering on our promise to offer a bridge to a better future to all Starbucks partners.”
Background:
- Recently, Starbucks and the union jointly announced that significant progress has been made at the bargaining table. Starbucks is eager to reach ratified agreements in 2024 for stores that have opted for union representation.
- Earlier this year, on February 27, the company and Workers United agreed to begin discussions on a foundational framework designed to help achieve ratified bargaining agreements, resolve certain litigation, and address other issues.
- A recent independent, third-party assessment found that “Starbucks is effectively encouraging participation in union elections regardless of viewpoints on unionization, which is consistent with partners’ right to choose freely to have a labor union represent them, or not, regarding their terms and conditions of employment” and that “voting participation in single-store representation elections has steadily increased from less than 60% to approximately 80% today.
- To support adherence to company policies and compliance with the complex patchwork of employment and labor law, Starbucks has continued to invest in a robust management training program and a dedicated labor relations team to ensure adherence to the principles of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
- We believe the best way for partners to make their voice heard on the matter of union representation is through the NLRB election process and we will continue to honor the outcomes of those elections.
“Before the union representation election at our Indiana Ave. store in Bloomington, our focus will be to ensure that partners can trust the process is fair and their voice is heard,” officials added.
