NORMAN, OKLA. (Free Press) — Baristas at the Norman Highway 9 and Classen Store are now the second Starbucks crew in Oklahoma to sign cards asking the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to start the process for a union election.
At around 9:00 p.m. Tuesday Starbucks Workers United, a part of Workers United, made the announcement on Twitter.
This follows the announcement of the Nichols Hills store baristas in the north OKC metro in February who signed enough cards to petition the NLRB for an election. A union spokesperson described the petition as having been signed by “an overwhelming majority” of the baristas.
Employees there are determined to win. They also report company efforts to step up anti-union pressure on those employees, some of whom are managers.
Letter to Starbucks president
This is the latest development in a movement nationwide by Starbucks baristas to organize and ask the NLRB to hold elections store by store. According to some news reports and social media comments, the company has tried to get the NLRB to only hold elections by district, which would tilt the process in favor of the company who could more efficiently mount opposition to the union movement.
However, the NLRB has granted Starbucks partners the right to petition store by store.
In the letter to Kevin Johnson, Starbucks president, the Norman partners argued that “in order to fully realize Starbucks’ missions, values, and commitments to partners” the company should allow the people it calls “partners” to “have a stronger voice.”
The letter also cites “record profits” that they say are up 19% to 8.1 billion last quarter. “Yet, our raise is in June.” They describe the promised $15-per-hour raise promised for June as being “too little, too late.”
The partners point to the company raising prices due to inflation but still “neglect their partners’ wages and benefits.”
Nation-wide, Starbucks has hired one of the largest law firms that represents companies in court but also provides strategies and coaching for companies that are trying to fight off an employee vote for union representation.
The letter also cites the following actions which partners believe shows bad faith on the part of the company:
- Giving and taking “countless benefits” throughout the pandemic when partners were generating record profits
- Taking back hazard pay that had been given at the beginning of the pandemic
- Taking back food and drink benefits
- Removing COVID restrictions “despite record cases and mandatory masking for partners”
- Partners help the company to “realize our mission and serve customers”
- Partners “take on the most risk”
- Partners “directly represent the image of Starbucks”
- The company neglects their partners and “and engage in union-busting when those partners demand more.”
The letter closes arguing that the employees “deserve agency.”
“We believe unionization is the best avenue for allowing us to secure that agency.”
Six partners signed their own names to the letter. Other employees preferred to remain anonymous.
Hwy-9_-Classen-Letter-1The unionization of Starbucks stores is an evolving and ongoing story. Free Press is committed to accurate and fair coverage of partners’ efforts to unionize and will continue to cover this story.
Feature photo credit: The Highway 9 and Classen Starbucks in Norman, Oklahoma. (by Bobby Jones III via Google Maps)
Brett is the founder, and editor in chief of Oklahoma City Free Press. He continues to contribute reporting and photography to the efforts of the publication as well as leadership in developing support.
