Employees at a downtown Columbus Starbucks joined a nationwide effort Monday to demand union recognition. It鈥檚 the first location in the area to do so.
More than half of 鈥減artners,鈥� or hourly workers at the East Broad Street caf茅 signed union authorization cards early Monday morning. Workers also signed a letter and emailed it to Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz.
The pay averages about $14 an hour. That鈥檚 above the $12 national average, but below union stores. Barista Ben Baldwin said low wages exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic pushed workers to join the effort.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really outlandish that the company is saying we鈥檙e essential workers and yet, we鈥檙e not getting a wage that鈥檚 consummate with that,鈥� Baldwin said.
Baldwin said Starbucks gave employees hazard pay of $3 extra dollars an hour at the start of the pandemic.
鈥淔or the first time in many baristas鈥� lives, they were able to live comfortably and not living paycheck to paycheck," he said. "And that was taken away from us without any explanation. So that hurt.鈥�
Workers also want a larger say in work place decisions, like with health and safety protocols
The Starbucks United effort includes over 150 locations, including those in Cleveland.
