NEW YORK, July 10 (Reuters) – Pro-union baristas at Starbucks are taking their campaign on the road on Monday and trying a new tactic along the way: asking the coffee chain’s customers to organize pickets at non-unionized U.S. cafes.
According to copies of the flyers seen by Reuters, the Workers United union plans to hand out flyers with a QR code during a 13-city bus tour. The code leads customers to a sign-up sheet, encouraging them to organize their own protests during a “national ‘Adopt-a-Store’ day of action” on Aug. 7.
As contract negotiations drag on, the union is adopting a more aggressive approach by directly targeting customers. Both the union and the company have been blaming each other for bargaining delays and alleged labor law violations.
Starbucks has been hit with more than 570 unfair labor practices charges. In fact, the National Labor Relations Board recently sued Starbucks over its refusal to rehire 33 workers after it consolidated three downtown Seattle stores into its “Heritage District” following the unionization of one of those cafes.
This ongoing dispute is now posing a threat to Starbucks’ reputation as a progressive employer. Some investors have even started pressuring the company to address its treatment of pro-union employees.
At present, the union represents baristas and shift supervisors at approximately 320 of Starbucks’ 9,000 corporate-owned U.S. locations. However, its growth potential is at risk if it fails to reach agreements at the stores where it represents employees.
Starbucks responded to the union’s claims, stating, “Despite the fact that we have attempted to schedule bargaining for hundreds of stores, Workers United has only met Starbucks at the table to progress negotiations for 11 stores.”
The company added, “(Employees) voted for bargaining not buses,” indicating that stalled negotiations have resulted in frustrated workers filing petitions to oust the union at several Starbucks locations.
The union’s bus tour has two legs. The first leg will travel through the Midwest, South, and East, while the second leg will run along the Pacific coast, culminating in Seattle around Aug. 7.
During the tour, the union will also target Starbucks board members, such as Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford. In April, union members delivered a butter sculpture resembling Ford’s likeness to the creamery’s Minneapolis headquarters.
Hilary Russ writes about global restaurant chains, including McDonald’s and Starbucks. She has extensive experience covering topics such as sports betting, municipal bonds, public finance, and infrastructure. Hilary has previously worked at Law360, where she covered corporate bankruptcies, white collar crime, and the U.S. Supreme Court. She has also contributed to The Cape Cod Times and City Limits, covering a range of subjects.
