Baltimore Starbucks Becomes First In Maryland To Unionize

BALTIMORE, MD — More than a dozen workers at a Starbucks in Baltimore unanimously voted to unionize Monday, making it the first location in Maryland to do so.

Starbucks Workers United, the group leading efforts nationwide to unionize the mega-coffee chain, confirmed the news in a tweet.

There are now 31 unionized Starbucks in 11 states, union organizers said.

The 14-0 vote affects the Starbucks at 1209 North Charles St. in the Mid-Town Belvedere neighborhood.

In January, workers at that location pinned an open letter to Starbucks president and CEO Kevin Johnson, stating that they earn "less than living wages," cope with "unsafe working conditions," "malfunctioning equipment" and "abusive customers."

Workers at the Baltimore location also criticized the company for not doing enough to support its LGBTQ+ staff.

"Despite its attractiveness to queer folk, Starbucks employs minimal methods on a store-level to provide adequate on-the-ground protection for its LGBTQ+ partners," a portion of the letter reads.

Days after writing the letter, on Jan. 15, Starbucks workers at the Baltimore location also filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to formally start the process of unionizing. The NLRB gave the green light in March, which ultimately led to Monday's vote.

Following that vote, Starbucks told The Baltimore Sun that it respects the shops’ right to organize and will follow the NLRB process.

“From the beginning, we’ve been clear in our belief that we are better together as partners, without a union between us, and that conviction has not changed," a portion of the statement reads.

Last month at its annual meeting of shareholders, the company said it plans to increase worker hourly pay by an average of 17 percent over 18 months, with starting ranges of $15-$23 per hour by summer 2022.

The company also announced seniority pay increases of up to 5 percent and 10 percent for eligible partners with two years and more than five years of services, respectively.

Meanwhile, other Starbucks in Maryland look to follow Baltimore's lead. According to WBAL-TV, Starbucks in Stevensville, Bel Air, Olney, Nottingham and Linthicum are also planning to unionize.

Starbucks operates over 9,000 retail coffee shops throughout the United States.