During a meeting on Feb. 14, 2022, a Starbucks manager at the coffee shop on East Colfax Ave. in Denver spoke to Michaela Sellaro and her colleagues about their plan to organize a union.
The managers warned Sellaro that relationships with leadership would suffer if employees voted to organize, potentially affecting promotions and benefits.
Despite Starbucks’ history of union-busting, 18 cafes in Colorado have unionized since 2022, with the East Colfax store being one of them, which has since closed down.
Despite the resistance from Starbucks, the union movement has grown to encompass 640 locations and thousands of workers in the U.S., with fewer than 4% of Starbucks workers in unionized stores.
Starbucks has faced multiple labor law violations, with more than 500 violations found by the NLRB according to Starbucks Workers United.
Workers have been working without a contract despite numerous union votes, leading to a recent vote authorizing an unfair labor practices strike.
Starbucks has been accused of engaging in unfair labor practices and unlawfully firing workers in response to organizing efforts.
Despite Starbucks’ efforts to discourage union activity, workers in Colorado and across the country continue to push for union representation and fair contracts.
Colorado Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, along with other senators, have urged Starbucks to negotiate a fair contract with its employees.
Despite the challenges, Starbucks workers remain determined to secure fair contracts and better working conditions through their union efforts.
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