Allen Park Starbucks workers unanimously vote to unionize

Workers at a Downriver Starbucks store have unanimously voted to form a union, 12-0.

The vote from workers at the store at 23005 Outer Dr. in Allen Park occurred Wednesday, making it the 13th Michigan store to join the Starbucks Workers United campaign.

Allen Park store files to be Michigan’s 13th unionized Starbucks

“We at Starbucks Allen Park, store 9435, are proud to announce our unanimous YES to unionize,” the workers said in a statement. “Today we prove that we are a team that stands in solidarity against the systemic mistreatment that not just our partners, but all stores face. Today we prove our voice and our strength. We hope our win inspires all partners and all workers to organize. We have strength in numbers.”

They added, “Our fight does not stop here. This is just the beginning. We may have a long road ahead of us, but we feel nothing but empowered and excited to see where it takes us.”

Workers at around 300 Starbucks stores across the country that have voted to form unions must now negotiate with the coffee giant for new contracts.

The Starbucks Workers United campaign says workers at another Downriver Detroit Starbucks in Riverview will also soon vote to unionize, though a date has not been determined yet.

The news follows other recent labor developments in Michigan. Last month, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation repealing the state’s Right to Work laws, which critics say have weakened unions by not requiring members to pay dues.

Also that month, members of the UAW voted for a slate of reform candidates following a high-profile corruption investigation at the union. New president Shawn Fain has promised to usher in a new era for workers with a zero-tolerance policy for corruption.

This story first ran in the Detroit Metro Times. Follow them on: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter