Starbucks employees in Clearwater ask feds for union vote

Employees at a Starbucks in Clearwater have asked for permission to vote on unionizing, joining a growing movement across the country that includes a shop in Tampa.

The baristas at the 433 Cleveland St. location in the city’s downtown filed a petition Tuesday with the National Labor Relations Board requesting permission to hold a union vote.

If the request is granted and the majority of 10 employees approve the measure, they would become a part of Starbucks Workers United.

The union expects the vote to be held in about two weeks.

The Clearwater location was one of 15 Starbucks nationally to make the request this week.

In a letter to the company’s CEO Laxman Narasimhan signed by each of the stores, the employees write that working conditions have deteriorated as pressure to serve customers has increased.

“Our customers’ wait times have exploded while our staffing has shrunk; our income has diminished as our hours have been cut; and our health has declined as our workload has increased,” the letter says.

“We are drawn in with the promise of benefits Starbucks describes as industry leading, yet struggle against the company to get the minimum hours we need to actually qualify for those benefits.”

Starbucks, for its part, has repeatedly said it prefers to work with employees directly but “respects our partners rights to have a choice on the topic of unions.”

According to a statement from Starbuck Workers United, more than 95 locations have organized this year and employees at 470 stores in 45 states have unionized since 2021.

Among those is the location at North Dale Mabry Highway and Linebaugh Avenue in Tampa. In May, employees voted 13-5 to unionize.

In all, there are nine Starbucks in Florida that have unionized.