Baristas at a Bethel coffee shop seek to join a national union push for better pay

BETHEL, CT — Starbucks workers at the company’s Bethel location filed a petition Tuesday for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board, joining a growing national movement to unionize baristas across the country.

The employees are seeking to join Starbucks Workers United, a union that now represents more than 11,000 baristas at over 580 stores nationwide. The filing is part of a broader wave of organizing activity that has seen baristas at more than 180 stores vote to unionize since Starbucks and Workers United reached a new organizing agreement in February 2024.

Workers cited concerns over scheduling, pay, management practices, and a desire for greater workplace equity.

“This company has proven time and time again that it does not value us,” said Autumn Degrosse, a barista at the Bethel store. “We believe that we deserve much better than what this company gives us and we’ve decided to take matters into our own hands.”

The union effort in Bethel follows recent work stoppages and demonstrations at Starbucks locations across the country. On April 1, workers at multiple stores participated in a nationwide walkout, accusing the company of anti-union practices.

In March, baristas held more than 100 protests ahead of the company’s shareholder meeting, including strikes and rallies. Sixteen participants were arrested at actions in Chicago and Pittsburgh.

Workers United has filed more than 90 unfair labor practice charges against Starbucks since January, citing disputes over contract negotiations and store closures.

The Bethel location's filing is the latest in a series of organizing efforts that have drawn national attention to labor conditions at one of the world’s most prominent coffee chains.