Glendale Starbucks crew votes 19-1 to join Starbucks Workers United

Employees at the Starbucks inside The Shops at Atlas Park in Glendale voted 19-1 on Sept. 10 to unionize and join Starbucks Workers United. The organizing drive frames local problems — staffing, scheduling and management practices — as part of broader grievances the union says affect baristas nationwide.

Partners at the Glendale store described persistent understaffing that increases burnout and makes basic tasks, like taking breaks or meeting service-level expectations, difficult. A shift supervisor who has worked at the store for about a year and a half said the store opens at 5 a.m. but once had no air conditioning until 10 a.m., and that staff routinely filled gaps caused by callouts.

Workers also reported pressure around attendance and discipline. Some employees said they faced backlash for calling out sick and felt compelled to come in when unwell. The union framed these issues as examples of "the same, systemic problems" baristas face nationwide: short staffing, unpredictable schedules and low pay.

Starbucks Workers United says it is pressing for a first contract that improves hours, staffing levels, pay and remedies for alleged unfair labor practices. The national union represents more than 12,000 baristas across over 700 stores. A union press release noted that more than 2,000 Starbucks employees joined Workers United last year.

The union also pointed to legal claims: it said Starbucks has been found guilty of more than 400 labor law violations and that more than 550 unfair labor practice charges remain unresolved.

A Starbucks spokesperson provided an emailed statement describing the company as offering "one of the best jobs in retail," and cited investments in pay and benefits. The statement listed performance-based bonuses of up to $1,200, expanded tipping options and weekly pay as examples of updates implemented at non-union stores. It added that, as required by law, those updates are subject to bargaining at the roughly 5 percent of U.S. stores represented by a union.

Unionized stores around the country are negotiating for first contracts and pushing broader demands tied to scheduling, pay and protections against arbitrary discipline. The Glendale vote adds another location to a growing list of Starbucks stores that have organized in recent years. For the Atlas Park crew, the immediate next steps will be union representation in bargaining and discussions over concrete remedies for the workplace issues they raised.