Cleveland Starbucks Files For Unionization Election

CLEVELAND — A Starbucks in downtown Cleveland has filed paperwork requesting a union representation election, according to Workers United.

The West 6th Street Starbucks petitioned the National Labor Relations Board on Monday morning. A majority of hourly workers at the store signed union authorization cards, according to the Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board of Workers United.

"I think unionization is right for our store and all Starbucks stores. We're referred to as partners by Starbucks, because we own stock in the company. The next thing is to have a seat at the table and a union would do that," said Joe Nappi, 20, a barista at the store.

"Currently, we don't really have a say in how our store is run. I don't think that's right. We dedicate a lot of our time and a lot of our day to help this store be successful and I think it's completely reasonable to have a say in how things are run at our store," Nappi told Patch.

Workers United representatives said this is the first Starbucks in Ohio to ask the Labor Board for a union vote. Similar requests for votes have been filed by stores in Boston, Knoxville, Buffalo, Chicago, Seattle, and around the nation.

Nappi believes Starbucks corporate leaders will do everything in their power to prevent his location from unionizing. He expects those efforts to begin immediately.

“In Cleveland and across Ohio, young workers in the service industry have sacrificed, while the
CEOs and big shareholders rake in record profits. Workers United is proud to stand with Cleveland
Starbucks partners as they attempt to win a real seat at the table, safety on the job and
economic justice. Their fight is our fight, and we’ve got their backs," said Workers United Ohio State Director Mark Milko in a statement.

In addition to Monday's filing with the National Labor Relations Board, the employees sent an email to Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson that reportedly reads:

“Starbucks partners invest their safety, time, and well-being to serve at the forefront of the
customer service industry, and this has been especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic. (However), we do not feel we have been adequately cared for in terms of consistent guidelines or effective safety measures… These experiences have often (led) to burnout, disillusionment, and a feeling that rather than being considered “partners”, we are simply cogs in a machine. …we know we can all do better.”

A Starbucks spokesperson said they have not yet received the petition for a union election, but did receive the letter from workers.