Las Vegas Starbucks Is the First to Unionize | Eater Vegas

"I reported that employees at the Starbucks located at 1772 South Rainbow Boulevard near Oakey Boulevard in Las Vegas voted 11 to 7 to unionize with Starbucks Workers United, with the National Labor Relations Board tallying ballots on December 20; their win made this the first Starbucks in Nevada to unionize with that organization. Workers sent an open letter to president and interim CEO Howard Schultz on November 15 announcing their intent, stating, “We believe that there is no true partnership that has a power imbalance and lacks accountability. That’s why we at Rainbow and Oakey are forming a union — in order to better build this partnership with the company to uphold its mission and values and to hold onto the Third Place. We have decided to unionize due to the fact we have not been treated as partners but, instead, employees with no respect or true voice in the workplace.” Their action is part of a broader wave of organizing at more than 100 Starbucks locations in over 19 states that began in Buffalo last December; baristas say the company strongly opposes these efforts, and Starbucks Workers United says more new unions have been formed among Starbucks workers in a 12-month period than at any U.S. company in the last 20 years." - Janna Karel