Starbucks union wins 699 elections as labor charges top 700

Starbucks Workers United has won 699 elections covering 15,122 employees, lost 135 covering 2,935, and still faces more than 700 pending unfair labor practice charges at Starbucks. For baristas and shift supervisors, the headline number is less important than the stalled contract fight underneath it: whether organizing can turn into steadier pay, more reliable hours and enforceable staffing rules.

That is why the union’s demands are so specific. Workers United is pushing for a $17 minimum starting wage, 4% annual raises, just-cause protection, a grievance procedure, more hours for experienced baristas, a floor of three employees on the floor at all times and health-and-safety improvements. Against that backdrop, Starbucks’ starting pay in 43 states remains around $15.25 to $16 an hour, leaving many workers with a paycheck that still depends heavily on the week’s staffing levels and whether the store is staffed enough to give out the hours they need.

The bargaining logjam has gone on for months. Starbucks and Workers United last held formal negotiations in December 2024, and the union represents about 6% of Starbucks’ company-owned U.S. locations. In April 2026, Starbucks said it had proposed resuming in-person bargaining and would stay available through April, while Workers United said talks had stalled over wages and staffing. That gap matters on the floor: without a first contract, store-level issues such as how many people are covering a peak rush, whether a seasoned barista can get a stable schedule, or how discipline is handled can still be set largely by management.

Starbucks has also been trying to shape the workplace on its own terms. On April 2, 2026, the company announced a new incentive rewards program offering quarterly bonuses of up to $300 for hourly partners at qualifying stores, tied to store performance and customer experience. Starbucks said union locations likely would not receive those bonuses until a collective bargaining agreement is in place. The company has also been expanding its coffeehouse coach role across U.S. stores and says it wants to fill 90% of retail leadership roles from within, a reminder that advancement is now part of the labor fight too.

Starbucks Workers United traces its campaign back to its first union win in December 2021 and says it has now passed 700 stores and more than 12,000 workers. It said it met with Starbucks in Dallas in late May or early June to keep working on a framework for single-store contracts, and it wants ratified agreements by the end of 2026. After Starbucks closed five Seattle locations in April, including four union stores, the union said it won effects-bargaining protections that included financial support and extended health coverage. For workers, the next stage is not another vote. It is whether organizing finally becomes a contract that sets pay, hours and staffing in writing.