A year under CEO Niccol: Starbucks workers’ long fight for a union contract | US unions

It’s been a yr since Brian Niccol took the highest job at Starbucks and promised change after years of bitter combating with the corporate’s burgeoning union.“I deeply respect the appropriate of companions to decide on, via a good and democratic course of, to be represented by a union,” Niccol wrote in a letter to the union final September. “If our companions select to be represented, I’m dedicated to creating positive we interact constructively and in good religion with the union and the companions it represents.”However 12 months on, the union and Niccol are nonetheless at loggerheads, in keeping with staff, and essentially the most profitable company union drive in current historical past has been stymied.Greater than 12,000 staff at practically 650 Starbucks shops across the US have unionized since December 2021, the fastest-growing union marketing campaign in trendy historical past. The expansion has come regardless of tons of of allegations of union-busting, retaliation and unfair labor practices lodged in opposition to Starbucks by the union.Starbucks Employees United had made progress towards securing a primary union contract with the corporate since bargaining classes started in early 2024. However that progress has largely stalled since Niccol took over the corporate.His first yr on the job started with implementing a brand new technique for the corporate, which he dubbed “Again to Starbucks”, which outlined an emphasis on customer support, reducing wait occasions for orders and enhancing in-store experiences.Niccol has praised the technique, and the corporate had a file gross sales week on the discharge of its Fall menu this yr after six consecutive quarters of same-store gross sales declines.However staff organizing at Starbucks have criticized the technique, citing elevated calls for on staff, corresponding to having to put in writing personalised messages on buyer drink orders, with out enhancements to staffing or pay.Brian Niccol speaks on the firm’s management convention in Las Vegas on 10 June 2025. {Photograph}: Joshua Trujillo/Starbucks by way of ReutersA survey carried out by Starbucks Employees United and the Strategic Organizing Heart of 737 Starbucks staff discovered 91% reported understaffing at their shops up to now three months, and 93% mentioned the coverage adjustments below Niccol both had no impression or worsened the shopper expertise.“It’s clear that ‘Again to Starbucks’ isn’t working and gained’t succeed till we finalize a good union contract with the hours, take-home pay and protections baristas must do our jobs,” mentioned Michelle Eisen, a spokesperson for Starbucks Employees United and a barista for 15 years.“Brian has talked about like simplifying the menu to make issues simpler for companions, and eager to get prospects out and in of the shops quicker, however these adjustments that he’s rolled out haven’t completed any of these issues,” mentioned Jasmine Leli, a Starbucks barista since December 2021 at a Starbucks retailer in Cheektowaga, New York, the second retailer to unionize within the US. “We actually want him to get again to the desk to finalize this contract in order that we will begin to flip issues round.”Leli warned Starbucks can count on additional actions from unionized staff to drive the corporate to get again to the bargaining desk. The union has ceaselessly utilized strikes and protests to handle particular points at shops.“We’re going to do no matter it takes to get them again to the desk in order that we will begin to deal with the problems with the wages, scheduling and staffing,” Leli added. “We’re those which might be working within the shops and interacting with the shoppers day in and day trip, and companions wish to be part of making change within the office. In order that’s why shops are becoming a member of the struggle.”graphic 1Niccol’s exorbitant compensation has been a degree of criticism for staff and labor advocates; Niccol acquired $97.8m in complete compensation in 2024, 6,666 occasions greater than the median annual wage of a Starbucks employee at $14,674, the most important CEO-to-worker pay hole among the many high 500 companies within the US. Starbucks claimed its common compensation, together with advantages for staff who work at the very least 20 hours every week, is $30 an hour.“In the event you’re the Starbucks CEO you get $96m for 4 months of labor together with a $5m bonus,” Senator Bernie Sanders wrote on social media in March. “In the event you’re a Starbucks union employee, the CEO is refusing to offer you a good elevate to pay lease and purchase groceries. Starbucks should finish its greed & negotiate a good union contract.”A spokesperson for Starbucks mentioned in response to criticism of Niccol’s compensation: “Starbucks believes Brian has established himself as one of the crucial efficient leaders in our trade, with a confirmed observe file of delivering long-term worth to staff, prospects and shareholders. The vast majority of his reported first-year compensation displays multi-year alternative fairness grants, awarded to offset compensation forfeited upon his departure from Chipotle, which are actually straight tied to Starbucks future efficiency.”The corporate additionally paid $3.8bn to shareholders in fiscal yr 2024 via inventory buybacks and dividends.Starbucks Employees United have criticized Niccol’s pay, his non-public jet use and the $81m spent by Starbucks on a June conference in Las Vegas for 14,000 retailer managers and different leaders.“It might take lower than what Brian made in 4 months to settle honest contracts with our union,” said the union in a current video posted on Instagram.graphic 2In December 2024, hundreds of baristas at Starbucks shops across the US went on strike, the most important strike within the firm’s historical past, after the union claimed Starbucks backtracked on an settlement to finalize a deal.In April 2025, the union rejected a proposal from Starbucks for two% pay will increase, with 81% of unionized shops voting it down on account of its failure to adequately deal with different financial advantages and supply a direct pay hike. A brand new proposal has but to materialize.Within the midst of stalled negotiations, Starbucks Employees United has continued rising to 648 unionized shops, from 500 shops in September 2024.Diego Franco, a barista at Starbucks for 5 years at a unionized retailer in Chicago, Illinois, criticized the personalised be aware change when he says his retailer is usually understaffed, leading to lengthy waits for orders.“If I’m a buyer, I don’t care to learn a customized be aware on my cup once I’m already ready 20 minutes for my drink, and as a employee, I’m getting chastised for not having a Sharpie always,” Franco mentioned. “It’s been an enormous mishandling of a lot cash, however the firm continues to lose, considering that Brian or any of our earlier CEOs have had the solutions.”“I consider if the corporate really wished to repair the issues taking place of their shops, it may have occurred by now,” he added. “The place the corporate would possibly see a backside line, I see human experiences, human lives which might be affected by the work that we do. So I hope to protect that and to make it higher, not only for me and my co-workers, however for individuals who come within the shops.”A spokesperson for Starbucks mentioned: “Since final April 2024, Starbucks and Employees United have held greater than 9 bargaining classes over 20 days and three mediation classes over 5 days with a federal mediator. We’ve reached over thirty significant agreements on tons of of subjects Employees United delegates informed us have been necessary to them. We’re able to finalize an inexpensive contract for represented companions, however we want the union to return to the bargaining desk to complete the job.”