Park Slope Starbucks Employees Petitons For Union Vote

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Park Slope Starbucks Employees Petitons For Union Vote Workers have complained about hours getting cut and stores being understaffed.

BROOKLYN — Starbucks workers in Park Slope, Brooklyn have voted in favor of unionizing with Starbucks Workers United.

The 166 7th Avenue location filed the petition with the National Labor Relations Board on Friday, employees told Patch.

"We have filed to join the union because we need to be fairly compensated for our hard work. Our schedules have been subject to change without permission, and the responsibilities for each one of us have increased with starkly insufficient staffing," barista Sammy Schachter said to Patch.

In a letter to CEO Brian Niccol, workers said Starbucks claims to aim for a 3rd place environment, but they "struggle to maintain that when we don't have enough staffing to meet even minimum production demands."

Workers have complained about hours getting cut and stores being understaffed

"Workers are sent home and call-outs go unfilled, all in the name of saving a little labor. At the same time, we find too often that we can't afford our bills and necessities because we are not getting the hours we need," the letter reads.

"This is why we are organizing- to win strong contracts that guarantee the staffing and scheduling we need to be successful in our stores and our lives."

Employees have said concerns have been raised over and over again to no avail.

"It's disappointing that we have not seen meaningful changes," employees told Patch.

More than 10,000 union baristas, at 428 stores, have unionized since 2021, according to Starbucks Workers United.

Latest Brooklyn Location To Unionize

The Park Slope location joins a number of borough locations who have filed a petition to unionize with Starbucks Workers United.

In May, the Hoyt-Schermerhorn location filed its petition voicing similar concerns.

"We only want what we signed up for, consistent hours, staffing and hours sorted correctly, and a safe and motivational work environment so that we as partners can continue to provide the 'above and beyond customer experience' Starbucks touts," Stephanie Perry, who works at the location told Patch.

Perry also said workers had taken advantage of, expected to provide consistent experiences to customers while having to deal with lack of management support on shifts and shortages on products.

"We believe that our direct relationship as partners is core to the experiences we create in our stores, and we respect our partners rights to have a choice on the topic of unions," Starbucks spokesperson Rachel Wall said at the time. "We are committed to delivering on our promise to offer a bridge to a better future to all Starbucks partners."

Patch has reached out to Starbucks for additional comment on the Park Slope locations' petition.