Providence Starbucks employees looking to unionize

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Starbucks workers at the One Financial location in Providence filed a petition Monday with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to unionize with Starbucks Workers United.

This move makes the coffee shop the first in the city and state of Rhode Island to file for a union election.

Workers sent a letter to Starbucks CEO, Laxman Narasimhan, to announce their organization campaign. In that letter, workers explained that they’re unionizing because they’re “struggling to make ends meet” while the company says there are not enough hours to be given.

“After working for this company for three years, I’ve finally started thinking about my coworkers and, especially about myself. I am finally able to feel like I have a voice. Hopefully, my voice and our store’s actions can reach the thousands of other baristas across the country to unionize. As the working class, we need to stand up for ourselves and not be afraid of the company that is taking advantage of us,” said Dalia Cerezo, a Shift Supervisor and three-year employee at the One Financial location.

Since December 2021, over 360 Starbucks locations in 41 states and the District of Columbia have successfully unionized — more than any company in the 21st century.