Park Slope Starbucks Workers Unionize Following 7-2 Vote

BROOKLYN, NY — Several Brooklyn baristas rejoiced after workers at a Park Slope Starbucks voted to join Starbucks Workers United, the union representing workers at the coffee chain, on Thursday.

The newly unionized Starbucks, located at 166 7th Ave. in Brooklyn, is now one of more than 500 unionized Starbucks locations across the country, according to Starbucks Workers United.

The final vote was 7-2 in favor of unionizing, Starbucks Workers United officials said. According to its website, Starbucks Workers United now has more than 10,500 active union members across the country, and six other unionized locations in Brooklyn.

"The partners at my store are committed to making Starbucks a great place for our community and for each other, and with that goal in mind, we are so excited to have won our union election," barista Orion Booth, who has worked at the Park Slope Starbucks for five years, said.

Booth's coworkers filed the petition to vote on joining Starbucks Workers United on Oct. 4, following issues with staffing, Patch previously reported.

In an open letter to the new Starbucks CEO, Brian Niccol, workers across the country said their hours are getting cut and the stores are understaffed this month.

"We see an emphasis on cutting hours even further in our stores on a daily basis, even when we are already understaffed," the letter reads. "At the same time, we find too often that we can’t afford our bills and basic necessities because we are not getting the hours we need."

Now that the Park Slope location is unionized, Booth is hoping that the unionizing will lead to better communication with the company.

"As a store with mostly long-time partners, many of us have lived through the company's shifting commitments and have seen firsthand how limited employee protections are. My coworkers and I are excited to now have increased protection for our benefits and a voice in our store's policies, and we look forward to improving the overall quality of life within our store, together," Booth said.

Starbucks has not responded to a request for comment about the Park Slope site.