Dave Jamieson has been HuffPost's labor reporter since 2011. Before joining the D.C. bureau, he was a staff writer at Washington City Paper and a freelancer contributing to Slate, the New Republic, the Washington Post and Outside magazine, among other outlets.
baristas from 21 stores around the country told the company Tuesday that they plan to organize, potentially adding hundreds of new members to a union campaign that’s battling the coffee chain for first contracts.
A Starbucks spokesperson said that although the company believes a “direct relationship as partners is core to our culture,” it would respect employees’ right to organize and intends to negotiate first contracts with unionized stores this year. “It’s important that we’re recognized as people rather than profit machines,” she said. “We don’t have another choice but to stand together.”
Growing the campaign is critical to any success the union hopes to have at the bargaining table. Starbucks has insisted that each store must bargain its own contract, just as each store has unionized on its own, but the larger the campaign gets, the easier it will be for the union to bend the company toward a nationwide agreement.
But Taylor, who’s working toward his college degree, said he’s focused on bigger workplace issues, like making sure baristas get enough hours to make ends meet. Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.