Iowa City Starbucks union vote passes unanimously

Workers at Starbucks in Iowa City, after announcing plans to unionize in late March, have voted unanimously to establish a union. It is the first Starbucks store in Iowa to unionize, according to Starbucks Workers United. The vote was 25-0, with no employees opposing the decision to form a union. https://twitter.com/SBWorkersUnited/status/1656789457318600704 Starbucks employees around the country have organized relentlessly in recent years, fighting for wage increases, guaranteed benefits and safer conditions. “It is our hope that our union campaign will inspire other stores to see that they deserve power in decisions that affect their store,” said Molly Belvo, a partner and organizer at the Iowa City location, in March. Starbucks leadership has adopted a hardline stance opposing organizing efforts. Earlier this month, unionized Starbucks locations in Ithaca, New York were shuttered. Workers claimed it was in retaliation for strike efforts, according to news reports. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued 93 complaints covering 328 unfair labor practices against Starbucks since late 2021, with the coffee corporation being forced to reinstate 23 fired workers after rulings went in favor of workers, according to The Guardian. Englert Theatre employees in Iowa City also voted unanimously 13-0 to form a union. Intregrated DNA Technologies workers announced their intention to unionize in late April, fighting for increased wages for its lab technicians.