America’s most expensive cup of coffee is about to get pricier.
All 15 employees at a Hopewell Township, New Jersey Starbucks voted to unionize on Monday; the location will now become the first in the Garden State to be operated by union labor.
New Jersey’s chapter of the AFL-CIO celebrated the baristas’ decision…
Starbucks Workers in Hopewell made history today by voting unanimously to become New Jersey's first location to unionize.
We look forward to more successful elections as this victory inspires more throughout the state@SBWUNJ @SBWorkersUnited #1u #StarbucksUnion pic.twitter.com/DY3GgUlPDB
— New Jersey AFL-CIO (@NJAFLCIO) April 25, 2022
“Nationally, over two hundred Starbucks retail locations have filed paperwork with the NLRB to begin the union election process since the organizing campaign began in August 2021,” the organization declared in a release. “Twenty-six Starbucks locations have voted for unionization in New York, Tennessee, Washington, Virginia, and New Jersey.”
Democrat politicians joined the chorus celebrating Hopewell’s big move:
Congrats to @SBWUNJ employees in Hopewell on unanimously voting yes to become the first unionized Starbucks store in NJ.
@Starbucks should immediately recognize the union and enter into contract negotiations. Every worker has the right to be represented in the workplace. https://t.co/EPr9NcXVGp— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 25, 2022
Two other New Jersey Starbucks locations — one in Hamilton and the other in Summit — are currently voting after ballots were mailed out to employees earlier this month.
The Starbucks corporate leadership is less enthused as its CEO Howard Schultz continues to push back against the wave of unionization.
