A Las Vegas Starbucks Is the First in Nevada to Unionize

Employees at a Las Vegas Starbucks store voted to unionize, becoming the first in the state to unionize with Starbucks Workers United. The National Labor Relations Board tallied ballots on December 20 for the union election for the location at 1772 South Rainbow Boulevard near Oakey Boulevard, with the store’s employees winning the election with a vote of 11 to seven.

Workers sent an open letter to the president and interim CEO Howard Schultz on November 15 stating their intent to unionize. In the letter, they stated: “We believe that there is no true partnership that has a power imbalance and lacks accountability. That’s why we at Rainbow and Oakey are forming a union — in order to better build this partnership with the company to uphold its mission and values and to hold onto the Third Place. We have decided to unionize due to the fact we have not been treated as partners but, instead, employees with no respect or true voice in the workplace.”

The coffee chain has seen workers in more than 100 locations in more than 19 states organizing unions. The current wave started in December of last year in Buffalo, New York, when workers at two stores voted to unionize as Starbucks Workers United. While more than 100 Starbucks locations have petitioned to unionize, baristas say that the company strongly opposes organizing efforts. According to Starbucks Workers United, Starbucks workers have formed more new unions in a 12-month period than any U.S. company in the last 20 years. Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment.