Workers at a Starbucks coffee shop on West Seventh Street in St. Paul and another in Wayzata have chosen to unionize and join Starbucks Workers United, which has led a coast-to-coast labor strike since Nov. 13.
Both locations remained open Monday. Workers and shift supervisors had not chosen to join the strike over pay and labor practices, which has roped in some 3,800 baristas at more than 180 stores in 130 cities.
The two stores are the 15th and 16th Starbucks in Minnesota — and the 11th and 12th in the Twin Cities — to see their baristas join the worker’s union, which is demanding finalization of its first national labor contract for nearly 11,000 unionized baristas at 560 locations.
Workers at the West Seventh and Davern location in St. Paul voted 18-1 last Wednesday to join the labor union, and baristas at the Wayzata Boulevard and County Road 101 shop voted 11-5 on Thursday to do the same, according to the union.
Under the title “Red Cup Rebellion,” the labor union has demanded better hours to improve staffing, higher take-home pay and the resolution of complaints surrounding alleged unfair labor practices.
The Seattle-based coffeehouse giant has maintained that the company offers the best wages and benefits package in retail. Negotiations broke off after elected union delegates rejected a contract offer in April.
In the Twin Cities, the strike has included workers at a St. Anthony Starbucks at 3704 Silverlake Road, which unionized in 2022, as well as one in Chanhassen at 190 Lake Drive, which unionized a year ago.
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Baristas at a location on Snelling Avenue by Macalester College also unionized in 2022, but the coffeehouse was permanently closed this year when Starbucks shuttered some 520 stores nationwide.
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