Cary Starbucks Is 1st Chicago-Area Store To Unionize

CARY, IL — Employees at a Starbucks in Cary voted in favor of unionizing on Tuesday, becoming the first store in the Chicago area to do so.

Workers at the store, at 620 Northwest Highway, voted 17-4 to join Workers United, which is an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union and has more than 10,000 members nationwide.

"This is win for the store, and really every partner that works for Starbucks," according to a statement posted on the Workers United Twitter page. "There is still a long road ahead but we look forward to working with corporate as partners in making Starbucks the best employer for essential workers."

The National Labor Relations Board, a federal agency that oversees union organizing, opened and counted the mailed ballots on Tuesday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Also on Tuesday, a Starbucks in Peoria voted 9-2 in favor of unionizing.

There are 9,000 Starbucks stores across the U.S.; so far, workers at 32 stores in 14 states have voted to join unions, the Chicago Tribune reported. Each store has its own bargaining unit. In total, 230 Starbucks locations across 31 states have filed for union elections.

The wins in Peoria and Cary on Tuesday are the first in Illinois.

Among the priorities for Starbucks workers are better benefits and pay, and more say in scheduling, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

More via the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune