Starbucks in Boone is first in Carolinas to join nationwide movement to unionize

BOONE, N.C. — A Starbucks in Boone has officially joined fellow partners in a nationwide movement to unionize, according to the Starbucks United Boone Twitter page.

The organization first announced its intention to join the movement April 4.

On Saturday, the Starbucks on Pride Drive and Blowing Rock Road confirmed that its store is officially the first certified Starbucks union in the Carolinas.

Workers wrote a letter to Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz expressing concerns over their jobs.

“We are tired of feeling overburdened, tired of feeling overtaxed, tired of losing potentially amazing partners shortly after hiring them due to less than ideal working conditions,” the letter said.

Chris Baumann, the Workers United Southern Region Director, said part of that frustration grew out of the challenges essential workers faced during the pandemic.

“More and more work has been piled on them. Starbucks wants them to have a community based store where they chat and build relationships with the customers but more and more expectations are coming on them. More drinks to make, more complicated drinks,” Baumann said.

Outside Starbucks Monday, Channel 9′s Dave Faherty spoke to customers like Grace Butler-Wheeler, who are supporting the employees decision to unionize. She, too, works in the restaurant business and said it has been tough.

“Most of the people who work in businesses like this are college kids, especially in this area. And I feel like giving them good working conditions will allow them to excel better in school,” Butler-Wheeler said.

Employees at this Starbucks location voted 33-2 to form the union.

“Obviously, Starbucks doesn’t like it because on their side of the story is that this will increase their cost of doing business. Essentially, workers will love it because they can increase their benefits,” said Dr. Imran Arif, an economics professor at Appalachian State University.

In an statement released on Saturday, Starbucks officials said:

“Today we are elated to announce that with a vote of 33-2, Pride Drive and Blowing Rock Road is now the location of the first certified Starbucks union in the state of North Carolina. We first want to extend our deepest gratitude to our friends and neighbors for providing us with invaluable support throughout the process. To our Boone community — your displays of solidarity, your supportive words, your belief in us and your willingness to stand with us have done more for our team and for this movement than we can convey. Additionally, thank you to all our partners for working to stand up for what they believe in, for exercising their right to vote and for committing an unbelievable amount of time and dedication to this process. And thank you to those who fought to support us and navigate us through a process completely foreign to every partner in our store. As of today, we are contributing to a much larger movement and we are thrilled to play a part in such an important time in history.”

(WATCH BELOW: Starbucks to increase prices due to rising costs of goods, labor)

©2022 Cox Media Group