The Starbucks Union In Ohio Is Organizing A 'Sip-In' To Rally Support

As of August 2023, more than 350 Starbucks stores have voted to unionize. There are 13 in Ohio alone. Though the location at 3580 North High Street in Columbus isn't yet one of them, workers will hold a "Sip-In" event there in September to rally support and educate customers on what it means to join a union. 

Starbucks Workers United (SWU), which posted a flyer for the event on Twitter, called it an opportunity to "show up for unionizing workers." The event, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on September 10, invites customers to "occupy the cafe," but not necessarily with the picket signs and protest chants that have characterized other Starbucks union events.  

Instead, the store is asking customers to show their support by ordering their coffee drinks "union strong" or "union, yes," donning pro-union shirts and buttons, and talking to baristas about their union election. If SWU's recent cross-country bus tour is any indication, enlisting the help of customers is a useful tactic in bolstering union support. 

It's been nearly two years since the first Starbucks store in the country voted to unionize, but the push and pull between workers and company leaders is far from over. 

In a recent statement shared with Daily Meal, Starbucks claimed the company has an "earnest desire to progress negotiations for partners at every store represented by a union." Many Starbucks workers would beg to differ, citing months of difficult bargaining attempts and alleged union-busting activity, including alleged illegal firings. 

Back in February, a federal judge in Michigan banned Starbucks from firing a pro-union Starbucks worker in Ann Arbor, Bloomberg Law reports. As of September, the National Labor Relations Board has reinstated 28 firings nationally, of which there are more than 200 in total.

Of course, beneath the collateral damage of reported union-busting lies the core issue. Workers want Starbucks leaders to recognize their needs — including higher wages, fair schedules, improved benefits, and safer working conditions. But don't take our word for it; ask your local barista.