NJ Starbucks Employees Announce Efforts To Unionize

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — Employees of a Starbucks in Hopewell Township, announced their efforts to Unionize on Tuesday. This is the first New Jersey location to do so, following recent efforts in Buffalo, New York.

In a letter to President and CEO Kevin Johnson, the employees detailed their frustrations and disappointment with their work environment.

The employees of Store 7853, on 800 A Denow Road said they have built “meaningful” relationships in the community, but lately their customer have been receiving a "rushed order, thrown together by a team of baristas struggling to balance unreasonable amount of tasks all at once.”

“We see ways to progress our company, to better our community, to improve our work environment, and need the voice to express our ideas and the power to enact those changes,” the employees said.

Members of the organizing committee posted their letter to Johnson on Twitter.

Employees also said they were disappointed at the “blatant anti-union behavior” shown by Starbucks management at stores that were trying to unionize. They asked management to sign the Fair Election Principles attached to the letter

“We are forming a union to create a real partnership, in every sense of the word. But to do that we must all share accountability, as well as power,” the letter said.

A Starbucks spokesperson shared a statement from Rossann Williams, president of Starbucks North America, that was recently shared with partners: “Our commitment to each of you is that we will always stay true to our Mission and Values. We stand for fairness and equity for our partners. We stand for growing and learning together. We stand for the Starbucks Experience, and building a company together where partners and the business can thrive and share success. And, most importantly, we always stand together as one Starbucks. Always.”

In December, a Starbucks in Buffalo became the first in the country to unionize. A second location in the Buffalo area won a vote on Monday.

Since the initial victory, workers at several Starbucks across the country, including Chicago, Boston, and Seattle, have filed for union elections.

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