Starbucks unionization drive reaches Iowa as Iowa City workers file for union election

Employees at a Starbucks store in downtown Iowa City are the first at the chain in Iowa to signal their intent to hold a unionization vote.

The employees at the 228 S. Clinton St. store announced Monday in a video posted to Twitter and TikTok that they had petitioned National Labor Relations Board to conduct the election. Starbucks Workers United, the main union representing Starbucks workers nationally, posted the video.

The unionization process starts when at least 30% of eligible workers at a workplace sign cards or a petition requesting to join a union. At that point the NLRB conducts an election. If a majority vote to form a union, the NLRB certifies it as the representative to collectively bargain on behalf of workers.

Employers also may voluntarily recognize unions. Under federal law, once a union is certified or recognized, an employer is required to bargain with it over terms and conditions of employment.

The NLRB filing said full-time and part-time baristas and shift supervisors will be included in the Iowa City union if it’s certified. Excluded would be other supervisors and the store managers.

In Monday’s video, employees from the Iowa City store said they are seeking a union to ensure consistent scheduling and ensure a better and safer work environment.

Evie Roberts, an employee at the store, told The Daily Iowan that safety incidents have been an issue at the store.

“We know what’s best for our health and safety and our customer’s health and safety so we’re trying to secure that,” Roberts was quoted as saying.

At least 293 of Starbucks’ 9,000 company-owned U.S. Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since late 2021. Starbucks Workers United has yet to reach a contract with the company for workers at any of those stores.

Starbucks contends that it already provides some of the best pay and benefits in the industry and that stores work better when the company works directly with employees. In a statement, a Starbucks spokesperson noted that workers, called "partners," in the company's parlance, have petitioned to start unions at less than 3% of Starbucks' U.S. stores. At stores where workers petition for union representation, Starbucks' "focus is to ensure that they can trust the process is fair and their voice is heard," the statement said.

"We believe our direct relationship as partners is core to the culture and experiences we create in our stores," the statement said. "Should partners at our Clinton Street store vote in favor of union representation, we look forward to meeting Workers United in-person to begin the single-store collective bargaining process."

Workers United representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

Iowa Restaurant Association head calls union push 'surprising'

Jessica Dunker, Iowa Restaurant Association president and CEO, said the Starbucks employees’ push to unionize is unexpected because the company has traditionally been seen as a company with good wages and benefits.

“I’m a little surprised that’s where the energy is coming from," Dunker said. "Obviously workers have the right to organize. It’s not something that we’re seeing widespread in the industry."

Half of U.S. residents get their first jobs in the restaurant industry, Dunker said. The industry also hires scores of people re-entering the workforce. Given the transient nature of the workforce outside management levels in restaurants, unions are not one of the top issues for restaurant employees, she said.