Starbucks resumes bargaining with union after two sides thaw relationship

Starbucks
and
the
union
that
represents
its
baristas
will
resume
contract
negotiations
on
Wednesday,
ending
an
extended
stalemate.

The
two
sides’
return
to
the
bargaining
table
follows
their
February

announcement
that
they
found a “constructive
path
forward”
during
mediation
discussions
related
to
litigation
over
the
union’s
use
of
Starbucks’
branding.
It
marked
a
major
pivot
for
Starbucks,
which
had
spent
the
previous
two
years
battling
Workers
United
and
the
broader
movement
to
unionize
its
cafes.

Roughly
500
company-owned
Starbucks
in
the
U.S.
have
voted
to
unionize
under
Workers
United
since
the
first
elections
in
December
2021,
according
to
a
tally
from
the
National
Labor
Relations
Board,
as
of
Monday.
But
none
of
those
locations,
which
make
up
a
small
fraction
of
total
U.S.
footprint,
have
come
close
to
a
collective
bargaining
agreement.

Starbucks
and
the
union,
which
is
affiliated
with
the
Service
Employees
International
Union,
have
previously
met
to
bargain,
but
those
talks
quickly
ended
in
stalemate.
Both
sides
have
accused
the
other
of
sabotaging
the
talks.

Starbucks
had
previously
insisted
on
face-to-face
negotiations,
with
no
representatives
appearing
via
Zoom.
The
union
has
accused
Starbucks
of
using
that
excuse
as
a
stalling
tactic.
It
is
unclear
if
all
representatives
will
be
appearing
in
person
in
the
latest
round
of
talks.

Store
agreements
will
be
negotiated
and
ratified
separately,
but
the
union
might
make
proposals
that
could
affect
all
of
the
Starbucks
workers
it
represents.
Workers
United
has
broadly
pushed
for
higher
wages
and
more
consistent
scheduling,
among
a
range
of
other
priorities.

Labor
laws
do
not
require
that
the
employer
and
union
reach
a
collective
bargaining
agreement,
only
that
both
bargain
in
good
faith.
After
a
year,
workers
who
lose
faith
in
the
union
can
petition
to
decertify,
putting
a
ticking
clock
on
negotiations. 

The
NLRB
has
19
pending
petitions
to
decertify.
Citing
unfair
labor
practices
by
Starbucks,
the
labor
board
has
denied
18
other
petitions
to
decertify.

The
company
said
it
has
also
been
negotiating
with
other
unions
that
represent
its
cafes,
such
as
the
International
Brotherhood
of
Teamsters,
which
is
bargaining
for
a
store
outside
of
Pittsburgh.

The
resumption
of
contract
negotiations
comes
a
day
after
another
significant
moment
for
both
Starbucks
and
unions.
On
Tuesday,
the
company
appeared
before
the
Supreme
Court
to
appeal
a
lower
court’s
approval
of
an
injunction
sought
by
the
NLRB
to
reinstate
seven
fired
workers
at
a
Memphis
cafe.

Starbucks
argued
that
other
agencies
seeking
injunctions
have
a
higher
threshold
to
receive
one
than
the
labor
board
does.
Experts
have
said
that
the
Supreme
Court’s
eventual
ruling
could
weaken
the
NLRB
—
and
organized
labor.
The
court
is
expected
to
release
its
decision
this
summer.

Starbucks
could
share
more
about
the
union
negotiations
during
its
quarterly
earnings
call.
The
coffee
giant
is
expected
to
report
its
results
on
Tuesday.