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were fired after taking part in unionization activities, and Therefore, when Starbucks workers started to unionize,
some employers, such as Mighty Good Coffee and Augie’s the government paid close attention; and when the company
Coffee, adopted an even more extreme way to send their staff took a step back and agreed to negotiate a contract, the entire
home forever—they shutdown their stores. society was shocked. Because this was not just an achieve-
The turning point came in 2021. After a few years of ment of Starbucks baristas, this was the start of a new phase
field battles, 2021 saw many more successful cases on the of employment relations. Not only were workers in the
employees’ side, including Colectivo Coffee, Pavement Cof- hospitality industry encouraged to unionize, those in other
feehouse, Bloc Cafe, and most importantly, the historical industries followed as well. Labor movement received a re-
unionization of the first Starbucks store in Buffalo, New York. cord high support in U.S. society since 1965, and we expect
Starbucks’ strong opposition to trade unions partly to see that number continue to increase.
mirrors that of Howard Schultz, one of the brand’s original However, just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, the
founders who departed in 1985 and returned two years later long-existing problems of labor rights and social
to acquire it.The first Starbucks union was quickly set up in protection will not be resolved through recent years’
1985, and thanks to Schultz’s continuous effort after regain- efforts. Challenges and obstacles that have been af-
ing control, it eventually decertified in 1992. Schultz states fecting workers’ life in the U.S. will remain, while
in his book that he believes trade unions are unnecessary corporations, capitalists, and the multimillion-dollar
under competent (meaning his own) leadership and man- anti-union consultant industry will all try their ut-
agement. This does make sense to some extent, but given the most to break down the collective power of workers.
inevitable conflict of interest between capitalists and work- That is to say, as long as the fundamental conflict that
ers, employers like Schultz should not expect to achieve comes with the capitalist system persists, workers
Having started in 2017 and accelerated during the pan- Taft-Hartley Act in 1947, which imposed several restrictions
complete satisfaction among the workforce. will need to keep fighting.
demic, baristas from independent coffee houses to big chains on union activities, and the government’s refusal to recognize
The tension accumulated and finally ignited in 2021. Employment relations play a critical role in the
in the U.S. have been unionizing at a rapid speed. Taking the legitimacy of a strike by federal air traffic controllers in
Inspired by pioneering baristas from other specialty coffee current socio-economic framework, and it is a delicate
Starbucks as an example, the number of its employees who 1981. The latter event led to a dismissal of over 11,000 strik-
shops and further affected by the pandemic, Starbucks staff and dynamic balance. In recent decades, it appears that
filed for union elections has increased from near zero before ing workers and the decertification of the union. In addition,
started to unionize, and the trend spread like wildfire. One the development of trade unions has not been catching
September 2021 to over 10,000, and over 400 stores across some of the consequences of globalization, such as workforce
store’s success would serve as the motivation for many oth- up with the rapidly changing world.
the U.S. are now unionized. This led the global chain, which outsourcing and surging migrant workers who couldn’t speak
er stores to follow. Baristas went on strikes, took Starbucks However, the environment for a revitalized and even
labor experts have described as one of the most aggressively much English, made organizing employees, especially in la-
to the supreme court, and, most importantly, they succeeded evolved system of organized labor activities is now becoming
anti-union organizations, to agree to national negotiations with bor-intensive industries, more challenging.
in uniting the community. The two-decade evolution of increasingly accomplished and mature. Led by an army of
its employees’ union, Starbucks Workers United, in February These factors contributed to a worsening labor situation
specialty coffee culture cultivated a generation of young young and well-educated workers, we cannot wait to embrace
2024. When this news reached the press, it was cited by most in the food and drink industry. Low wages, a high number
enthusiasts deeply dedicated to coffee. When coffee houses the new phase of trade unions and a new balance of employ-
media as “a breakthrough moment” for Starbucks. of unreported labor law violations, a less educated and
became the focal points of labor movements, these individ- ment relations, especially in the hospitality industry, where
The unionization in the coffee industry is widely rec- international workforce, high turnover rates, and a trade
uals stood unwaveringly alongside baristas without hesitation. an often exploited workforce works hard to provide enjoy-
ognized as “ground-breaking” because of where it is taking union membership of only around 1% collectively left
For instance, students at prestigious American uni- ment and create memorable experiences for all. There is a
place: the food and drink industry in the U.S.. employees in the food and drink industry as one of the
versities like Cornell initiated campaigns urging the tomorrow that we all want to see, in which high quality
The U.S. labor environment is known for being very most vulnerable groups.
school administration to terminate their contracts with service is provided by happy people who live an equally high
unfriendly to workers. Nevertheless, change is happening. The rise of spe-
Starbucks on campus. quality and happy life.
At the national level, the law only guarantees a very cialty coffee, a.k.a. “the third wave of coffee”, not only
low minimum wage of US$7.25 per hour, which is doubled fostered a global passion for the origin of coffee but also
in the UK, and it lacks any standards or policies regarding provided fertile ground for organized labor movements
paid leave. Moreover, social protection plans are minimal in the service industry. Sources for the Curious:
and only cover a small percentage of people like the re- In 2017, baristas in the New York-based Gimme! Coffee v 5IF 4UBUF PG 0VS 6OJPOT ] $&" ] 5IF 8IJUF )PVTF
tired and the disabled. Fundamental insurance plans, such announced their intention to form a union, followed by a few v 6OJPO &PSUT *O 5IF $PFF *OEVTUSZ -PPN $PFF $P
as retirement and medical, are mostly paid by employers more coffee shops across the country. This new generation v " #SJFG )JTUPSZ 0G $PFF 6OJPOT ] 4QSVEHF $PFF
because of the high price. This means most individuals of baristas who stepped into the industry in the era of spe- v #SPLFO 64 MBCPS MBXT DPVME IBNQFS VOJPO XJOT GPS XPSLFST FYQFSUT XBSO ] 64 VOJPOT ] 5IF (VBSEJBO
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are in a much weaker negotiation position against their cialty coffee are younger, better educated, and with a stron-
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employers when there’s a conflict of interest. ger determination to defend their rights. They confronted v 64 MBCPS NPWFNFOU GBDFT CJH PCTUBDMFT EFTQJUF TVSHF JO TUSJLFT BOE VOJPO XJOT ] 64 VOJPOT ] 5IF (VBSEJBO
Meanwhile, the situation of trade unions, which in the lengthy and intricate process of legally forming a union v 5IF VOFYQFDUFE SFWJWBM PG "NFSJDBT USBEF VOJPOT GU DPN
theory should be individual workers’ major weapon to defend in the U.S. and remained steadfast when employers employed v 4VQSFNF DPVSU BQQFBST UP TJEF XJUI 4UBSCVDLT JO HIU PWFS SFE FNQMPZFFT ] 4UBSCVDLT ] 5IF (VBSEJBO
themselves against corporate power, is equally depressing. tactics honed by law firms specializing in dismantling trade v 5IF 4UBSCVDLT VOJPO FYQMBJOFE 7PY
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The U.S. union membership was only 10% in 2023 (22% in unions over the years.
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the UK), down from 35% in 1954. The decline was caused Not surprisingly, employers took the usual route and v 8IZ "SF 8PSLFST 4USVHHMJOH #FDBVTF -BCPS -BX *T #SPLFO 5IF /FX :PSL 5JNFT OZUJNFT DPN
by a number of factors, including the introduction of the dealt with these activities coldly and swiftly. Many baristas v 6, USBEF VOJPO EFOTJUZ ] 4UBUJTUB
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