Last Updated on December 20, 2022, 11:32 AM | Published: March 16, 2022
OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — An “overwhelming majority” of baristas at the NW 23rd and Robinson Starbucks have signed a petition for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a union election.
A letter to the acting President and CEO Howard Schultz was signed by 21 baristas from the location.
“Our union seeks to rein in corporate power so that all Starbucks workers who sell their labor receive dignity,” said Collin Pollitt, the first to sign the letter. “We are calling on Starbucks to embody its progressive values by letting us workers have workplace democracy and earn a living wage.”
Howard Schultz has become the acting President and CEO after Kevin Johnson announced that he would retire from the position effective April 4. Schultz was the Chairman and CEO of Starbucks from 1986 to 2000 and then from 2008 to 2017.
Workers in the 23rd and Robinson store join over 100 Starbucks stores nationwide that have asked for a union election.
Crews from five stores in Buffalo, NY and one in Arizona have won elections since December 2021 to have Workers United represent them. Next, those workers will start negotiating a contract.
Third location in Oklahoma to file
The 23rd and Robinson store workers join two other Oklahoma Starbucks’ crews in the effort: NW 63rd and Grand in Nichols Hills and Hwy 9 and Classen in Norman.
- Nichols Hills Starbucks baristas petition for union election
- Norman Starbucks baristas petition for union election — second in Okla
The NLRB has scheduled the election for the Nichols Hills store for May 6. Starbucks originally said that they were going to ask for a hearing with the NLRB but then backed off on that demand and allowed the election date to be set.
NLRB schedules Nichols Hills Starbucks for May 6 union election
“Dear Howard” letter
The letter, drafted by the 23rd and Robinson baristas, uses company language and concepts asking to have “workplace democracy and earn a living wage.”
Starbucks calls its employees “partners” yet continues to give them little input into how their own stores operate or even a seat in the company’s decision-making process.
“Together, we aim for true partnership through power-sharing and accountability,” the letter read.
The workers call upon the company to adopt fair election principles that will allow them to choose whether to “unionize without fear of reprisal.”
“Our union seeks to rein in corporate power so that all Starbucks workers who sell their labor receive dignity,” the statement said.
“We also aim for eventual labor representation on the corporate board of directors.”
The letter concludes, “We challenge you, Howard Schultz, to act with courage, challenge the status quo, and find this new way to grow our company and each other.”
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Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
