The Starbucks Union Just Announced A Cross-Country Bus Tour
Starbucks Workers United has announced that it is touring the country in its latest effort to acquire a union contract with Starbucks. The organization shared a video on Twitter to announce the tour, which will last four weeks and travel through 13 cities, per an emailed press release.
The tour, led by union partners and Starbucks employees, will start in St. Paul, Minnesota on July 10 and end in Seattle, Washington — the home of the first Starbucks storefront. Every stop will feature press and organization events, along with various activities designed to grab the attention of the coffee chain's Board of Directors. The coffee chain has consistently come under fire for breaking labor laws in an attempt to union bust.
Starbucks Workers United was formed in 2021 and has campaigned for unionization across the coffee chain's locations. The organization hopes to achieve benefits like increased base wages, workplace protections, healthcare plans, consistent schedules, and more for Starbucks employees, according to its website.
The bus will stop at a few different events
Along the way, the tour bus will be making stops at a few different events, according to the press release. The kickoff in St. Paul on July 10 will include a press conference to mark the start of the tour. Another press conference will be held on July 22 at a Starbucks in Philadelphia, which has been a previous source of controversy regarding its union-busting tactics.
We're hitting the road!
Union partners from all over the country are going on a nationwide bus tour to let Starbucks know it's time for a contract! #nocontractnocoffee pic.twitter.com/xe8lXNvXyZ
— Starbucks Workers United (@SBWorkersUnited) July 10, 2023
Additionally, Starbucks employees will be participating in a union panel at Netroots Nation 2023 in Chicago on July 15, when the bus makes its stop in the city. In Atlanta, the tour bus will be present at a community block party on July 12. It will also make a stop at Louisville's July 17 "Y'all Means All" rally. More events may be announced as the tour continues.
To date, Starbucks employees at 432 locations have filed to unionize, and 332 of those locations have won. An interactive map showing the tour stops, as well as updates on the tour, can be found on the Starbucks Workers United website.