A second Starbucks store in Buffalo, New York has unionised, strengthening an unprecedented wave of labour organising throughout the coffee chain.
The National Labor Relations Board announced Monday that it had certified the result of the contested election in favour of the union. The final tally was 15 votes for the union, and nine votes against.
Employees of the Genesee St. cafe, called “partners” by the company, voted on whether or not to unionise under the Workers United Upstate New York union in December following a continuous organisation drive. The initial vote count was inconclusive because the union challenged the validity of several ballots, which it said were cast by partners who worked at another store.
“After months of anti-union meetings, intimidation tactics, and intense pressure to vote ‘no’, we can finally say we won our union,” Caroline Lerczak, a shift supervisor at the Genesee St. cafe, said in a statement to reporters. “I would love to see Starbucks show some accountability for their actions and come to the bargaining table to negotiate with us now.”
The election was held simultaneously with those at two other locations in Buffalo. One voted to unionise and became the first unionised Starbucks store in the US. Other locations in New York, Arizona, and Illinois have since filed for elections of their own.
Starbucks has 10 days to file a request for the result of the Genesee St. election to be reviewed, the NLRB said.
