Demonstrators protest outside the closed Starbucks store at 505 Union Station in Seattle, Washington, United States, on Saturday, July 16, 2022.
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The barista is here Starbucks On Monday, a Starbucks in Bellingham, Washington, became the 500th store to join the United Starbucks Workers Union.
More than 11,000 baristas have joined the union since the first location voted to unionize in 2021, according to a press release Tuesday.
“This milestone is a testament to workers building power from the ground up,” said Workers Union President Lynne Fox. “Starbucks partners boldly demand a voice on the job and strong contracts to ensure Respect, living wages, racial and gender equality, fair scheduling, and more.”
The union and Starbucks jointly announced in February that they would negotiate through a collaborative process to establish a basic framework. The union said it has been meeting at the bargaining table every month since April and that 100 new sites have successfully joined the union in the past six months.
Brian Niccol, who became the coffee chain's CEO in September, said last week that the company is committed to negotiating in good faith with the union as the two sides work to craft a labor agreement. The framework they are negotiating will form the basis of collective bargaining agreements between individual stores and the company.
The union noted in a press release that the negotiations were productive and advanced measures were taken.
The barista at the Bellingham location sent one letter Nicole outlined the reasons for their organization.
“The ultimate success of Starbucks' rebuild depends on whether we as baristas receive the support we need to do our jobs well, ensuring customers enjoy the Starbucks experience and keep coming back,” they wrote.
A Starbucks representative did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.