“I’d like a double-shot of worker justice, please!”
Employees at the Town of Ulster Starbucks near Kingston have voted in favor of unionizing, joining a growing movement among baristas nationwide seeking better working conditions.
The 12-4 vote at the Massa Drive location marks it as the first store in the Hudson Valley to join the unionization wave, aligning with more than 11,000 Starbucks workers across the country advocating for improved wages, equitable treatment, and workplace protections.
It’s all part of the broader campaign spearheaded by Starbucks Workers United (SWU), a union advocating for key protections such as fair scheduling, living wages, and gender and racial equity. SWU, which now represents employees at 540 stores, has been addressing widespread concerns over low wages, inadequate staffing, and other systemic issues within the company.
The vote comes in the wake of the largest strike in Starbucks history, which took place on Christmas Eve and involved over 5,000 workers at 300 stores nationwide. The strike led to the temporary closure of 170 Starbucks locations.
Despite successfully unionizing, workers at the Massa Drive store now face the challenge of negotiating a contract, a process that has proven difficult for other unionized locations. Many stores have encountered prolonged delays in reaching agreements, with union representatives citing company resistance as a contributing factor.
Starbucks has historically maintained a stance against unionization, emphasizing a preference for direct engagement with its employees, whom it refers to as “partners.”
Join the family! 
