Grand Rapids Starbucks is first to unionize in Michigan as labor movement gains steam

An additional 11 Starbucks stores in Michigan plan to vote on unionizing in the coming months

By Steve Neavling on Mon, May 16, 2022 at 12:09 pm

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More Starbucks workers in Michigan are joining the unionization wave.

A Starbucks store in Grand Rapids has become the first in the state to vote to unionize as the labor movement continues to gain momentum nationwide.

Employees at the store at 2480 Burton Street voted 15-3 to unionize Friday.

In a letter earlier this year to Starbuck’s then-president and CEO Kevin Johnson, employees complained of insufficient pay, bad equipment, and minimal COVID-19 protections.

An additional 11 stores in Michigan plan to hold votes to unionize in the coming months.

So far, more than 60 Starbucks in 19 states have unionized as coffee workers push for more rights.

In Detroit, employees at Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Co. went on strike in February and are moving to unionize.

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Steve Neavling

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Steve Neavling is an award-winning investigative journalist who operated Motor City Muckraker, an online news site devoted to exposing abuses of power and holding public officials accountable. Neavling also hosted Muckraker Report on 910AM from September 2017 to July 2018. Before launching Motor City Muckraker,...

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