Just this past Thursday on December 9th, one of the three Starbucks located in Buffalo, New York won a 19 to 8 voting poll to unionize. 19 were for unionization, and 8 voted against. 

This unionization had been brought up due to the pandemic and having to do extra, back-breaking work due to labor shortages. Buffalo Starbucks employees decided to step up by organizing this poll with The Regional Labor Office and got their way with a 19 to 8 conclusion.

According to Uwua.net, this union will help benefit Starbucks workers with a 28% increase in wages, and may or may not supply Starbucks employees with more benefits such as health insurance and/or retirement plans. Higher wages will supply workers with more money, making working during the pandemic a little easier.

However, voter ballots have been submitted to N.L.R.B.’s regional director, which will take approximately 1 week to process and verify each of the voters’ ballots. 

Meanwhile, other Starbucks within the area have been following in Buffalo Starbucks’; footsteps. The Starbucks on Camp Road in Hamburg, as well as the one at the Genesee Street Store in Cheektowaga, had performed similar votes. In Hamburg, the poll ended with 12 against and 8 for, and the Cheektowaga store resulted in a 15 for and 9 against. Seven of the Cheektowaga ballots, however, were challenged. Resulting in a delayed outcome, and in Hamburg, two ballets were challenged as well. 

Following the press conference, Starbucks employees who attended the conference were ecstatic to hear the outcome, and are looking forward to a beneficial future of working at Starbucks.