Starbucks, Workers United Make ‘Significant Progress’ in Contract Bargaining; Retailer Plans Series of Global Pop-Ups

Starbucks, once one of the country’s staunchest anti-union retailers, met with the Workers United union last week for collective bargaining discussions that yielded “significant progress.” The two-day session in Atlanta earlier this month will be followed by another in-person meeting in late May.

In a joint statement, the retailer and the union said: “Over the course of the two days, we discussed a broad range of topics, including a shared commitment to mutual respect, the process to resolve grievances and details relating to the union’s representation of partners as both sides worked on the foundational framework that will contribute to single-store contract negotiations and ratification.”

Workers United reportedly sought national contract negotiations in May 2023, but the retailer wanted to continue bargaining on a store-by-store basis. Starbucks and Workers United agreed on a framework for collective bargaining discussions in February 2024.

Starbucks’ First ‘Promises Day’ Touts Green Initiatives and Barista Recognition

The retailer also held its first Starbucks Promises Day earlier this month, marking the one-year anniversary of its revamped corporate mission under CEO Laxman Narasimhan. The event highlighted a number of Starbucks initiatives including:

• Plans for U.S. and global pop-ups in 2025: “At these pop-ups, customers will be able to experience and enjoy exclusive, limited-edition coffee beverages and unexpected flavor pairings,” said Narasimhan in a blog post. “At the same time, the pop-ups also provide us with an opportunity to engage, interact with and learn from our increasingly diverse global customers — and to make the lexicon we use to describe our coffee more inclusive for younger consumers.”
• Humanitarian relief: From April 29 to June 4, 2024, Starbucks will donate 100% of sales from Starbucks Odyssey Blend purchased at specific stores to World Central Kitchen’s relief efforts around the world, part of a new program promising a giveback from purchases of select whole bean coffees;
• Expanding contenders for barista championships: Following the January 2024 kickoff of its North America Barista Championship, Starbucks will inaugurate Global Barista Championships in 2025, allowing winners from around the world to compete for the title of Best Barista; and
• Sustainability progress: Starbucks had announced plans to build the Hacienda Alsacia, a coffee farm dedicated to eco-friendly farming techniques, in Costa Rica in June 2023. The retailer plans to open four more farms — in Asia, Africa and other parts of Latin America — in coming years. Additionally, Starbucks will welcome the first cohort of college students for learning opportunities at Hacienda Alsacia in December 2024. In March 2024 Starbucks noted that it now operated nearly 6,100 Greener stores worldwide, with plans to operate 10,000 such eco-friendly stores by 2025.