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Protesters demonstrate outside a closed Starbucks Corp. location. at 505 Union Station in Seattle, Washington, United States on Saturday, July 16, 2022.
David Ryder | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Baristas in a Starbucks in Bellingham, Washington, on Monday became the 500th store to join the Starbucks Workers United union.
Since the first location voted to unionize in 2021, more than 11,000 baristas have joined the union, according to a Tuesday press release.
“This important milestone is a testament to workers’ ability to build power from the ground up,” said Lynne Fox, president of Workers United. “Starbucks partners have boldly demanded a voice at work and, with it, strong contracts that ensure respect, living wages, racial and gender equity, fair hours and much more.”
The union and Starbucks jointly announced in February that negotiations would take place through a collaborative process aimed at establishing a fundamental framework. They have been meeting at the bargaining table every month since April, and 100 new sites have successfully unionized in the past six months, the union said.
CEO Brian Niccol, who took the helm of the coffee chain in September, said last week that the company was committed to negotiating in good faith with the union as both sides worked to develop a work agreement. The framework they negotiate would serve as the basis for collective agreements between individual stores and the company.
The union noted in the press release that the negotiations were productive and made it possible to advance measures.
The baristas at the Bellingham location sent a letter to Niccol explaining the reasons for their organization.
“The ultimate success of rebuilding Starbucks depends on whether we, as baristas, have the support we need to do our jobs well so that, in turn, we can ensure that customers enjoy their Starbucks experience and keep coming back,” they wrote.
Representatives for Starbucks did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.