Stratham Starbucks latest to join union push: Workers 'are struggling to pay bills'

STRATHAM — A Stratham Starbucks is the among latest to join the ranks of stores whose employees have decided to form a union.

The employees filed a petition for a union election Wednesday with the National Labor Relations Board .

Leading the movement is 21-year-old Jack Duquette, a shift supervisor at the Portsmouth Avenue location, who said he was aware of the “big union drive” at other Starbucks locations nationwide when he first started at the company nine months ago.

“I didn't go in planning to unionize, but when I’ve seen some of the terrible things here done to our employees – just treated awful, no respect – that’s what drove it home, a more emotional aspect,” he said.

Since Starbucks workers in Buffalo first announced their intention to form a union in 2021, workers at 428 stores have won union elections with the NLRB in 43 states and the District of Columbia.

Duquette said he has forged numerous connections with locals, often identifying them by their vehicles. While he values the rich social interactions and camaraderie with colleagues his job provides, he said it pains him to see that most of them are not fairly compensated.

“We have someone who’s a single mother of multiple kids working upwards of 60 hours a week just simply because we don’t have enough coverage, and they won’t hire more people, or they can’t because nobody wants to come to work for what they’re offering,” he said. “Some people are just struggling to pay bills because of the pay.”

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Stratham location would be second Starbucks in NH to unionize

Stratham is the second location in the state to file for a union election. Last year, employees of Starbucks at the Ridge Marketplace in Rochester voted 10-4 to unionize , becoming the first in the state to join the Starbucks Workers United movement.

Eight other locations filed for a union election Wednesday, including stores in Tampa, Florida, Robbinsville, New Jersey, and Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

In a joint letter to Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimham, the workers stated their demands, which included better staffing, guaranteed hours and improved compensation.

“It has become clear to all of us that despite the company saying they prioritize the partner experience, Starbucks has fallen short in giving us the resources we need to succeed,” the letter stated. “When it comes to making changes to store operations that affect our experience as workers, our voices have been left out of the decision-making process.”

Rachel Wall, a spokesperson from Starbucks, issued a statement Thursday, emphasizing the company is committed to working with employees.

“At Starbucks, we believe that our direct relationship as partners is core to the experiences we create in our stores, and we respect our partners' rights to have a choice on the topic of unions,” she said. “We are committed to delivering on our promise to offer a bridge to a better future to all Starbucks partners.”

Earlier this year, Starbucks and Workers United agreed to begin discussions on a foundational framework designed to help achieve ratified bargaining agreements, resolve certain litigation and address other issues. An April 26 joint statement by Starbucks and Workers United stated that “significant progress” has been made at the bargaining table.

“We believe the best way for partners to make their voice heard on the matter of union representation is through the NLRB election process and we will continue to honor the outcomes of those elections,” said Wall. “In advance of the union representation election at our 16 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham store, our focus will be to ensure that partners can trust the process is fair and their voice is heard.”

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Stratham Starbucks workers ready to vote to join union

Duquette said a majority of the 18 workers support the movement to form a union. He said the remaining few were concerned about job security.

In 2022, Starbucks closed its 176 Middle St. location in Portland, Maine, shortly after employees at that location voted to unionize.

“People were weary at first to be taking control of their workplace into their own hands,” he said. “But facts cannot be overlooked and when there are no downsides to taking it into our own hands instead of letting management run us over and over again, people did come around. It seems to be a sweep at this point.”

According to the Worker Organizing Resource and Knowledge Center , a petition to form a union under the NLRB election requires support from at least 30% of the total employees. A majority vote is needed to form a union.

Pending a set date for a union election, Duquette said Thursday that at least 70% of employees have signed the union card.

“Right now, we’re just waiting around with our voting hands ready,” he added.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Stratham Starbucks latest to join union push: Workers 'are struggling to pay bills'