Employees at the world's first Starbucks store, which opened in 1971 in Seattle's iconic Pike Place Market, are now seeking to unionize. This historic location, serving as both a functioning coffee shop and a popular tourist destination, has joined the growing unionization campaign that has swept across the coffee retail giant's U.S. stores.
Historic Location Faces Modern Labor Challenges
The original Starbucks store at Pike Place Market attracts significant tourist traffic, with lines sometimes stretching out the door and wait times reaching up to two hours. Workers at this location face unique challenges, including greater customer service responsibilities and issues with disruptive customers that can impact safety.
Workers Share Their Experiences
Nailah Diaz, a Starbucks barista with approximately five years of experience including three years at the Pike Place location, described facing unfair treatment, favoritism, discrimination, and harassment with minimal support from management. "For me, joining this fight is me making sure that no one else has to go through what I have," Diaz explained. "We feel personally empowered by each other's courage, the encouragement of our fellow union baristas, and honestly, the unwavering support from our Pike Place Market community."
Skyler Blair, another barista with about five years at Starbucks, described the original store as functioning more like a museum or time capsule than a typical coffee shop. Unlike most Starbucks locations, this store lacks food options, mobile ordering capabilities, and designated seating areas. "Customers come in, are excited to be there, and want to see and talk with us to learn the history of the store," Blair noted. "Over time, things have gotten a little bit more difficult in order to focus on that, whether that be unsafe working conditions or the prolonged stress and fatigue that comes with such an active role in the store."
Unionization Campaign Expands
The Pike Place store workers announced their union election filing earlier this month, seeking to join more than 600 Starbucks stores that have won union elections across the United States since 2021. However, the broader fight for a first union contract continues, with Starbucks Workers United recently filing an unfair labor practice charge against the company.
The union alleges regressive bargaining when negotiations resumed this month after nearly a year without progress. "Starbucks has returned to the bargaining table, but its behavior hasn't improved," Starbucks Workers United stated. "We filed a ULP over the company's attempt to illegally withdraw from seven signed tentative agreements previously achieved through months of bargaining."
Contract Negotiation Timeline
While the average time for a union to reach a first contract is approximately 465 days, Starbucks workers have been fighting for a union contract for more than four years since the first store unionized. In solidarity with the ongoing struggle, the union is asking the public to refrain from purchasing Starbucks products and to delete the Starbucks mobile application.
Company Response and Worker Concerns
Both Blair and Diaz cited Starbucks's record of union busting, including allegations of shutting down unionized stores and disciplining workers for union activities, which the company has consistently denied. "Starbucks, as a company, has a pretty historic record of union busting," Diaz stated.
Blair acknowledged that Starbucks's history with unionization creates fear among workers about potential retaliation but emphasized that unity among employees provides strength. "I do believe the unity that I have with fellow baristas with me in this cause to really fight for a better workplace is stronger than any fear that could be out there," Blair said. "So while it may be challenging at times, I do feel like there is hope."
Starbucks Official Statement
Jaci Anderson, a Starbucks spokesperson, responded to the developments: "Starbucks has been engaging in good faith and put forward comprehensive proposals that build on Starbucks' already competitive pay and industry-leading benefits." Anderson added, "Significant changes have occurred over the past two years, including during the period when Workers United chose not to bargain, and it is appropriate that proposals reflect current business realities, customer expectations, and partner interests. We are at the table and engaging in good faith."
Regarding the Pike Place location specifically, Anderson noted that workers at this store earn more than typical Starbucks employees and indicated that not all workers at the store support the unionization effort. "Filing a petition is simply the start of a process. Our partners are at the heart of who we are, and today, we offer industry-leading pay and benefits," Anderson concluded.
The unionization effort at this historic location represents a significant development in the broader labor movement within the coffee industry, as workers at the very first Starbucks store join their colleagues across the country in seeking improved working conditions and fair treatment.
