Here’s how you can support organizing Starbucks workers in Seattle

February 15, 2022

Recently, baristas at dozens of Starbucks stores across the country have filed for an election to form a union, including at four Seattle stores. This is an exciting moment for the labor movement! Although workers at Starbucks inside Fred Meyers, Safeways, hospitals, and the SeaTac Airport have a union, these would be the first at standalone Starbucks stores to win a union. Not only would this be a victory for baristas, it would be a game-changer victory for all food service workers.

Starbucks is a massive multi-national corporation and has already shown its intention to fight workers’ efforts to organize. This is sure to be a long and arduous fight. But if successful, these baristas have the opportunity to win huge improvements in how baristas are paid and treated at work.

Organizing workers need all the support they can get from the labor community. Workers have formed an organization called Starbucks Workers United. Information including their social media links can be found on their website here https://sbworkersunited.org/.

The four Seattle locations that have filed are the stores at 425 Pike St, 101 Broadway E., 1200 Westlake Ave N., and 1124 Pike St. If you want to support these workers, stop by to buy a drink and give them a pro-union name for your order (you can change your name in the Starbucks app if you use it). Thank these workers for their bravery and please leave a good tip!

*Note MLK Labor will be leading a delegation to the Starbucks Roastery at 1124 Pike St. on Thursday, February 17 at 4:30 pm. Join us!