NJ Starbucks Union Members Protest Pay, Working Conditions

NEW JERSEY - Workers from the first unionized Starbucks in the Garden State went on strike last weekend to protest better wages, benefits and working conditions, according to baristas from the store.

The demonstration began at the store on Route 31 on Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and repeated during the same hours Sunday, NJ 101.5 reported.

Hailey Kenney, a barista at the store, called the protest a “last-minute decision” working with “the best timing we could do” in a Facebook video.

Kenney previously told New Jersey Spotlight News that she believes Starbucks corporate is taking steps to delay bargaining, barring members from having more of a say in pay, hours, benefits and more.

“A lot of people in our store thought that getting this union was going to be the biggest victory of them all, and in reality the work has just begun.” Kenney said. “There is still so much work we have to do and I can’t wait to actually be able to do it.”

2 other New Jersey stores that announced unionization efforts received replies back from corporate regarding bargaining,” Kenney said. But according to the barista, the Hopewell store has been left in the dark.

“We want a seat at the bargaining table so we can get a contract,” Kenney said in the Facebook video over the weekend.

Gov. Phil Murphy took to Twitter on Saturday to show his support for the effort, writing:

“Standing in solidarity with @SBWUNJ workers in Hopewell as they go on strike this weekend. @Starbucks, this is a wake-up call. They don't deserve unfair pay and slashed hours. They deserve the ability to earn enough to take care of themselves and their loved ones.”

"Starbucks has great partners and we value their contributions,” a company spokesperson told NJ101.5. “We respect our partners’ right to engage in any legally protected activity or protest without retaliation. We are grateful for each partner who continues to work and we always do our best to listen to the concerns of all our partners."

The Hopewell Starbucks store first announced unionization efforts in January 2022, citing baristas “struggling to balance [an] 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 in a January letter to President and CEO Kevin Johnson.

Over the course of the following months, the effort was championed by the likes of over two dozen New Jersey lawmakers. Read more: Starbucks Union In NJ? 26 Legislators Support Effort So Far

The store officially unionized in April; stores in Hamilton and Summit have since also voted to unionize. A fourth store in Montclair has pushed for similar efforts.