Downtown Brooklyn Starbucks Employees Vote To Unionize

BROOKLYN, NY — Starbucks workers in downtown Brooklyn have voted in favor of unionizing Wednesday with Starbucks Workers United.

Employees at the location voted 8-6 in favor of joining the union, according to Starbucks Workers United.

More than 10,000 union baristas, at 428 stores, have unionized since 2021, according to Starbucks Workers United. In 2022, the Bath Beach Starbucks became the first unionized location in Brooklyn.

Stephanie Perry, who works at the Hoyt-Schermerhorn location, had previously said workers were being taken advantage of, expected to provide consistent experiences to customers while having to deal with lack of management support on shifts and shortages of products.

"We only want what we signed up for, consistent hours, staffing and hours sorted correctly, and a safe and motivational work environment so that we as partners can continue to provide the ‘above and beyond customer experience' Starbucks touts," Perry said.

Starbucks is currently working on a framework with Workers United to handle contract negotiations at unionized locations.

"We believe that our direct relationship as partners is core to the experiences we create in our stores, and we respect our partners rights to have a choice on the topic of unions," Starbucks spokesperson Rachel Wall said in a statement. "We are committed to delivering on our promise to offer a bridge to a better future to all Starbucks partners.”