Stratham Starbucks brews change: Second NH store joins union movement for better wages

STRATHAM — A Stratham Starbucks is the second location in New Hampshire to join other Starbucks across the county in forming a union.

The Portsmouth Avenue store's employees voted 9-6 Tuesday to officially join the Starbucks Workers United union.

"Our choice to unionize was born from a love of the people we work with every day and the refusal to be exploited without checks and balances,” said Jack Duquette, a shift supervisor at the Stratham Starbucks. “We cement ourselves as valuable human beings who deserve to live and work with dignity and representation. And above all, we stand in solidarity with all wage laborers across the world, it is us that truly run this place.”

Duquette, 21, led the local effort to unionize, citing that they wanted better staffing, guaranteed hours and improved compensation.

“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.”

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. Since 2021, more than 430 Starbucks stores in 43 states and the District of Columbia have successfully unionized.

"Over the past months, we have worked together to fight for a voice for ourselves,” said Cailyn Heath, a Starbucks barista of seven months in Stratham. “Winning this election is a testament to the will of our team, and the passion we have for improving our workplace. It is a reminder that we won't allow ourselves to be walked on by those above us, and that we will always come together to support each other and strive to better each other's lives. It is the first major step in many we will take to make our workplace somewhere we can truly feel comfortable and take pride in what we do.”

What's next

Union Starbucks partners met in Atlanta last month and began discussions to reach a foundational framework for collective bargaining agreements for represented stores and partners.

Hundreds of delegates representing all union stores participated, with 150 delegates attending in person and another 250 joining virtually.

An April 26 joint statement by Starbucks and Workers United stated that “significant progress” has been made at the bargaining table. They will return to the table later this month.

In a joint letter to Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimham, the workers stated their demands, which included protections on core issues like respect, living wages, racial and gender equity, and fair scheduling.

“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, emphasized 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.”