Astoria Starbucks Workers Vote To Join Union; First In Queens

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Workers at an Astoria Starbucks cafe have voted unanimously to form a union, making them the company's first Queens location to do so, according to organizers.

Employees at the Astoria Boulevard Starbucks, on the corner of 31st Street, voted 11-0 on Monday to join Starbucks Workers United/Workers United — a union affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

"I'm extremely proud of what my partners and I accomplished at Astoria Blvd!" said Brandi Alduk, a three-year employee at the location, in a statement. "I'm hopeful for what the future holds, and want others to join our fight for our livelihoods."

The successful vote was hardly a surprise: when Astoria Boulevard workers first filed petitions in March to take steps toward unionization, employees were already unanimous in supporting the effort, according to Workers United.

Monday's vote makes Astoria Boulevard the latest of more than 115 Starbucks stores whose employees have voted to unionize, with more than 100 more locations in the earlier stages of the process. The growing movement has now touched 38 U.S. states, according to a tracker by Perfect Union.

Meanwhile, another vote is looming for the Starbucks on Ditmars Boulevard and 31st Street, whose 23 employees filed their own union petitions in April.

"We have been underpaid, short-staffed, and subject to inhumane conditions for long enough," Ditmars employee Austin Locke said at the time.

Astoria City Councilmember Tiffany Cabán and State Sen. Michael Gianaris both hailed the Astoria Boulevard vote in tweets on Monday.

"When workers organize, they win," Gianaris said. "Proud to support my local Starbucks workers."

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