Starbucks and Workers United Brew a New Chapter in Their Relationship

Starbucks and a union seeking to organize the coffee chain’s U.S. workforce said on Tuesday they have agreed to create a “framework” to guide organizing and collective bargaining and potentially settle scores of pending legal disputes. This is a remarkable turn in a contentious battle, with both sides accusing the other of improper and unlawful conduct.

A fair process for workers to organize

The coffee chain and the union, called Workers United, said in a joint announcement that during talks last week to settle an ongoing court case, “a constructive path forward emerged” on the future of the nationwide labor campaign that began in 2021 and has led workers to unionize at nearly 400 of the company’s 9,000 U.S. stores.

The coffee chain and the union said they agreed to begin discussions on a “foundational framework” that includes a fair process for workers to organize and a process to achieve collective bargaining agreements on a store-by-store basis. Starbucks said that “as a sign of good faith,” it agreed to provide workers at unionized stores with benefits that were granted to non-union workers in 2022, including the ability to receive customer tips from credit card transactions.

A commitment to the principles of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining

The announcement is also a response to a resolution approved by a majority of shareholders in 2023, calling for an independent, third-party assessment of Starbucks commitment to the principles of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. The assessment is direct and clear; there is no evidence Starbucks has, or has used, an “anti-union playbook.”. It affirms that the company has provided consistent reassurances to partners (as Starbucks calls its employees) that Starbucks respects their right to collectively organize through fairly conducted elections.

The agreement between Starbucks and Workers United is a sip of progress amidst a steaming cup of legal disputes. The company has faced several lawsuits and challenges from anti-union groups and politicians who have tried to undermine its labor practices. However, by reaching out to Workers United and creating a framework for organizing and bargaining, Starbucks is showing its willingness to improve its stated commitments and its adherence to these important principles.