Chicago Starbucks workers join union

CHICAGO — A union claiming to represent Starbucks workers at a handful of coffeehouses said Wednesday that employees of a Chicago store have declared their membership, becoming the first outside New York City to do so.

The baristas at the Logan Square Starbucks store joined the IWW Starbucks Workers Union on Tuesday night, the union said. They issued a set of demands that include a living wage, guaranteed work hours and the reinstatement of IWW baristas fired for organizing activity.

Starbucks often is lauded for offering generous benefits that include health insurance for part-time workers. But the two-year-old union, which has members at seven Starbucks locations, contends that workers face low wages and barriers to health care and other benefits.

Seattle-based Starbucks released a statement saying the coffee-shop company "does not believe the IWW has meaningful support at any of our stores."

"While Starbucks respects the free choice of our partners (employees), we firmly believe that our work environment, coupled with our outstanding compensation and benefits, make unions unnecessary at Starbucks."

In March, Starbucks settled an unfair-labor-practice charge the union filed with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the company of violating federal law by creating a national policy prohibiting workers from sharing written union information or wearing buttons.

The company admitted no wrongdoing in its settlement but was forced to post at three stores named in the complaint detailed notices explaining workers' rights to organize. It also offered two workers their jobs back and gave three employees back pay totaling less than $2,000.

Because the IWW has never formally negotiated with the company and is not certified under the National Labor Relations Act, Starbucks contends none of its U.S. stores is unionized. Nevertheless, the IWW claims to represent an undisclosed number of dues-paying members who have bargained for certain job improvements, including pay raises.