Montclair Baristas Strike, Accuse Starbucks Of ‘Union Busting’

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Baristas and workers at a Starbucks in Montclair are accusing the coffee giant of “union busting” as they and others across the nation push for new contracts, although the company is denying some of their claims.

On Wednesday, workers at the Starbucks on South Park and Church streets – one of four unionized stores in New Jersey – took part in a national “Founder’s Day” strike, rallying outside with picket signs.

Workers at two other New Jersey stores, Hamilton and Hopewell (Pennington) also took part in the strike, the latest in a series of union actions against the company. Other rallies were scheduled for cities including Seattle, Los Angeles, Memphis and New York City.

• See Related: New Jersey Starbucks Workers 'Double Down' On Fight For Union Contract
• See Related: NJ Starbucks Union Members Protest Pay, Working Conditions

According to Starbucks Workers United, the union representing the workers in Montclair and more than 290 other locations across the nation, here’s why baristas hit the streets on Wednesday:

“The protest comes just one week before Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz is set to testify before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions about the illegal anti-union campaign he spearheaded, which included numerous labor law violations. Schultz only agreed to testify under threat of subpoena. Since December 2021, more than 7,500 Starbucks workers have organized over 290 stores nationwide, demanding Starbucks respect workers’ fundamental right to organize and bargain a fair contract with their workers. In this same time period, the NLRB’s regional offices have issued over 80 official complaints against Starbucks, encompassing over 260 separate charges and over 1,400 specific alleged violations of labor law, including accusations that Howard Schultz personally threatened a worker who expressed support for organizing. The March 22 protest is the latest in a wave of activity aiming to hold Starbucks accountable to the progressive values it publicly purports to champion.”

According to their union, workers are demanding basic rights such as livable wages, consistent scheduling, safe and respectful workplaces and the right to organize “free from fear and intimidation.”

“It’s time for Starbucks stop holding on to their old grudges,” said James Cruz, a worker at the Montclair store.

“We continue to see issues with scheduling and hour cuts, which at this point are beyond reason,” Cruz alleged. “The company also still continues to flagrantly union-bust and treat employees harshly without regards to reason or law, under the assumption that they will get away with their actions.”

“We will strike now, and take action to get rights protected,” Cruz added.

Workers at the four unionized Starbucks locations in New Jersey – which also include a store in Summit – have been waiting between six and 10 months to form their first collective bargaining agreement.

U.S. senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker recently wrote a letter to the CEO of Starbucks, telling the company to “stop delaying negotiations” and negotiate in good faith with the workers, as required by the National Labor Relations Act.

“While Starbucks has gone to great lengths to present itself as a company that takes care of its employees, going so far as to call employees ‘partners,’ it appears the reality is detached from this brand image,” Menendez and Booker charged.

“These negotiation delays seem to fit an anti-union pattern that are simply unacceptable,” the senators concluded. “As New Jerseyans and Americans, these baristas are entitled to dignity in the workplace.”

• See Related: NJ Senators Urge Starbucks To Speed Up Talks With 4 Unionized Stores

STARBUCKS: ‘THE ALLEGATIONS ARE UNFOUNDED’

In a statement issued last week, Starbucks said it has not been found to have violated U.S. labor laws as part of any enforced order of the National Labor Relations Board.

“To the extent claims have been brought against Starbucks for alleged violation of labor law, the company has committed to defend itself where it believes the allegations are unfounded,” spokespeople wrote.

“Since October 2022, Starbucks has come to the table in-person and in good faith for more than 85 single-store contract bargaining sessions,” the company claimed. “We continue to work to move the single-store bargaining process forward—with more than 60 additional sessions scheduled or proposed through March 2023.”

Reached for comment about Wednesday’s strike in Montclair and other stores, a Starbucks spokesperson told Patch that there’s more than meets the eye to the situation.

“Rather than publicizing rallies, we encourage Workers United to live up to their obligations by responding to our proposed sessions and meeting us in-person to move the good faith bargaining process forward,” they said.

The spokesperson continued:

“Our board of directors and executive leadership team are aligned in their belief that our direct relationship as partners is core to the culture and experiences we create in our stores. We recognize that a subset of partners feel differently—and we respect their right to organize and to engage in lawful union activities like the widely-publicized union rally on March 22 at the Starbucks Support Center in Seattle. Counter to claims made by Workers United, Starbucks continues to be an employer of choice for more than 235,000 U.S. partners who have realized opportunities enabled by our industry-leading hourly benefits offerings and inclusive Third Place policies.”

According to Starbucks, all eligible hourly “green apron partners” have:

• An average wage of $17.50 per hour
• The highest-rated benefits for hourly workers in the U.S.—including comprehensive health care coverage, no-cost mental health services, paid parental leave, family expansion reimbursements, increased paid partner and family sick-time accrual and DACA fee reimbursement
• 100% tuition reimbursement for a four-year bachelor’s degree at Arizona State University through the Starbucks College Achievement Program
• Equity ownership in the company through annual Bean Stock grants—which have awarded more than $2 billion in additional pre-tax earnings to partners, to date
• 401(k) matching up to the first 5% of eligible pay contributed by partners each pay period
• Resources to help partners better manage student loan debt and save for short-term goals and unplanned financial challenges

“Throughout our history, Starbucks has set itself apart as a different kind of company defined by a sense of human connection and the shared success of the partners, customers and communities we serve,” the spokesperson added. “This partner-first focus and our long-history of listening to and learning from our partners is core to our business and underscores our future growth.”

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