ONTARIO — Starbucks Workers United, the national campaign to unionize the coffee giant, continues to expand its nationwide coalition of baristas organizing for better working conditions and fair representation.
Last week, workers at the 2172 Walker Lake Road store in Ontario won their union representation election in a vote of 25-4.
The Walker Lake workers filed for a union election on March 22, 2023, and joined the national strike with workers from more than 100 stores the same day.
The store’s union election win — marking the first Ohio Starbucks union shop outside of a major metropolitan area — comes the same week that Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb called on Starbucks management to bargain with workers in good-faith and the same week that two stores in the Cleveland area filed for union elections.
“After working at Starbucks for almost 8 years, winning this union election gave a new meaning to being a ‘partner.’ We have always been the heart of the company, but haven’t always been treated as such,” said Heather Brocklesby, barista at the Walker Lake store.
“I’m looking forward to setting an example of what organizing looks like and what it can do for employees/communities. I’m just so proud to be a part of this team and hopeful for what’s next to come.”
“A big majority of us in Richland County are raised by parents with trade skills,” said barista Lizzy Prichard. “With that being said, a skill passed on but not loudly talked about is organizing. We know our battle has just begun, but our roots are tethered to our homes and we’re ready for our next phase; Richland County is union strong.”
Starbucks Workers United is the union drive that has taken the labor movement by storm. With over 300 union stores and more than 8,000 union workers across 42 states and D.C., partners across the country continue to organize.
