The Kimball Junction baristas petitioned for a union election a month prior, as part of the largest single-day filing since Starbucks Workers United began organizing in 2021.
“We hope that others come together and fight for what we all deserve as hard-working employees of Starbucks,” they said in a joint statement March 19. They’re seeking better pay and working conditions.
We, the partners of Kimball Junction, are proud to join our union after winning our election 10-0!
— Starbucks Workers United Utah (@SBWorkersUtah) March 20, 2024
We hope that others come together and fight for what we all deserve as hard-working employees of Starbucks. pic.twitter.com/pKyDfIADIS
Kimball Junction is now Utah’s fifth Starbucks to unionize. The four others are along the Wasatch Front.
Feb. 20, a store at the Little Cottonwood Shopping Center voted 5-6 not to join Starbucks Workers United. A simple majority is needed to unionize.
According to the National Labor Relations Board, 514 of Starbucks’ roughly 9,000 corporate-owned stores have held union elections. 413 have unionized, and another seven elections are currently in progress.
Starbucks was facing NLRB charges for illegally refusing to bargain with Starbucks Workers United. But late February, the two parties agreed to pursue a bargaining “framework.”
That’s put the failure to bargain complaint on hold. But the NLRB is still seeking to force the coffee giant to reopen stores it closed last year, some of which voted to unionize.
Currently, the Kimball Junction Starbucks is closed for renovations.
Shift supervisor Kaylee OGrady said the store has been due for a remodel and the temporary closure is not union-related. They expect to reopen in May.
