Springfield Starbucks Employees Vote 20-1 to Unionize Third Location

Baristas at the Starbucks at 2616 S. Glenstone in Springfield voted 20-1 on Feb. 11, 2026, to join Starbucks Workers United, the store’s employees and local reporting said, making it the third Springfield location to unionize and the 18th in Missouri, according to a press release cited by the Springfield News‑Leader. The vote tally was reported by Susan Szuch in the News‑Leader and carried by Yahoo News and National Today.

The Springfield effort follows two earlier local victories: a store at 631 S. Glenstone unionized in August 2022 and a store at 1008 E. Battlefield Road joined Starbucks Workers United in November 2024, reporting shows. The 2616 S. Glenstone vote was reported by the News‑Leader on Feb. 13, 2026, with the article timestamped 2:11 p.m. CT.

Organizers and quoted staff framed the vote as a push for better treatment and conditions. Faith Melton, identified in the press release as a shift supervisor with four years at the 2616 S. Glenstone store, said, “Starbucks as a whole CAN do better and we are holding them accountable. We are demanding respect, proper treatment, livable wages, proper scheduling, and healthier work environments and conditions. We are so excited that our moment has come. Any dream can become a reality.” Weslie Thomas, identified as a barista of four years in the press release, said, “We should expect and voice better treatment in all aspects of our lives including our workplace, it is where we spend our time and where we put our hearts.”

Local reporting and the press release cited by the News‑Leader and Yahoo list specific employee goals that motivated the organizing drive: better hours and staffing, higher take‑home pay, resolution of alleged unfair labor practices, livable wages, proper scheduling, and healthier work environments and conditions. Yahoo paraphrased that the 2616 S. Glenstone location was inspired by the efforts of fellow baristas fighting for a better workplace.

The national context presented in the press release and relayed by local reporting places the Springfield vote amid broader growth: the release claims “more than 570” unionized Starbucks stores nationwide representing “more than 11,000 workers,” and News‑Leader reporting notes “more than 2,000 workers … joining Workers United in the last year” and an asserted union election win rate of 82 percent. News‑Leader also reported that baristas across 45 states and Washington, D.C., are working toward finalizing a fair contract with Starbucks.

Starbucks’ corporate response, quoted in Yahoo, emphasized company benefits and operational concerns: Starbucks said it “offers the best overall wage and benefits package in retail, worth on average $30 per hour for hourly partners,” and argued that SBWU proposals “would significantly affect store operations and customer experience.” Reporting also referenced Starbucks’ company headcount figure of more than 361,000 employees globally from the company website.

Local reaction on social platforms appeared alongside the coverage. The Springfield News‑Leader shared the story on Facebook with a captured post showing 64 reactions and 11 comments, including critiques and congratulations such as Jillian Slack noting a grammatical correction, Joshua Berzins saying “Great job!,” and Ike Butler warning “Can " vote" all they want. They all will be fired and new employees within the week.” A Reddit post on r/antiwork linked to the News‑Leader story under the headline used by National Today.

Reporting to date did not include the full text of the press release or NLRB election paperwork; the News‑Leader and syndicated outlets cited the press release for statewide and national totals. Next verification steps include obtaining the original press release from Starbucks Workers United, requesting comment from Starbucks corporate communications on the quoted $30 per hour figure and the operational concerns language, and checking National Labor Relations Board records for official election filings and certification for the 2616 S. Glenstone store.