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Update on Our Continued Commitment to Clarity, Transparency and Progress in Collective Bargaining

Published on: • 2 min read

This week Starbucks continued the dialogue with Workers United President Lynne Fox. We have reiterated that we want to, and will, move forward with the scheduling of meetings for the purpose of collective bargaining.

We hope that they will enable communications that respect the voices of all partners.

Starbucks will continue to prioritize the interest of partners and move this process forward.

Read the full letter here.

September 8

Today, Starbucks had another exchange Workers United President Lynne Fox clarifying – and attaching – all of our previous correspondence regarding collective bargaining specifics and logistics.  Importantly, we reiterated our commitment to bargain in good faith and are eager to move forward with the process.  To read the full letter click here.

September 1

This week, Starbucks continued communications with Workers United President Lynne Fox regarding collective bargaining specifics and logistics and reiterated our commitment to bargain in good faith. 

We are pleased to report that Starbucks and Workers United will bargain for each single-store location where Workers United is the representative, and that Ms. Fox has appeared to have agreed to bargain in-person. We believe that in-person bargaining will yield the best outcomes for partners.

We are concerned, however, that Workers United’s bargaining approach will ignore the differences among individual stores. More specifically:

  • Workers United appears to be overlooking the myriad and specific needs of individual partners and stores in favor of a uniform, “cookie-cutter” approach to contracts as noted in their letter to Starbucks on 8/24.  In fact, Ms. Fox indicated that Workers United would make the exact same proposal for every store.
  • Ms. Fox has requested that we correspond with her so that all Workers United bargaining can be coordinated through her national office, rather than through local representatives or partners.
  • Ms. Fox has only provided one bargaining date and asked to bargain all contracts at the exact same time, which seems odds with partners’ ability to participate.

We hope that Workers United will reconsider its “uniform bargaining” for a “uniform contract” approach and, instead, will stand by their campaign promises to not bargain one national contract.  We believe that Workers United should allow all represented partners to be heard to bargain to meet their individual needs and unique situations.  To read the full Aug. 30 letter, click here.