Beverly Starbucks Workers File Petition To Unionize

BEVERLY, MA — Employees of the Starbucks on Enon Street in Beverly are the latest workers at the franchise to attempt to organize a unionization vote.

According to Starbucks Workers United, the employees filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday and sent a letter to Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan providing notification of their intent to unionize and explaining their reasoning.

Starbucks Workers United said the employees seek the chance to collectively negotiate for a "liveable wage, shared bonuses, a health care deductible that doesn't cost most of our paychecks and shared power for the way the cafe runs."

"When, after taxes and health insurance your take-home pay rate is $5 an hour, something needs to change," Beverly barista and organizing member Rob Stevens said in a statement to Patch announcing the unionizing effort. "I don't have much so my word is important to me. Let's see if Starbucks and the higher-ups will make good on their word. But until then we watch their actions to tell us who they are.

"I'm voting yes for all working-class people."

Starbucks Workers United said more than 8,500 employees have sought to unionize nationwide, including more than 335 stores across 38 states and the District of Columbia.

"I'm voting to unionize because I know what ethically responsible capitalism looks like," Beverly barista and organizing member Jenna Powell said, "(to keep) wages and healthcare costs on pace with the cost of living, support for consistent and stable working conditions.

"C'mon Starbucks, let's reform that social contract you espouse together."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)