Starbucks workers at the kiosk in Eastview Mall have voted to unionize. They’re the among the latest to do so nationwide.
The vote was 8-0 when tallied by the National Labor Relations Board this week.
“For us, it’s about accountability. It’s about recognizing the consistent, location–based issues we’re having,” barista Sasha Belyablya said in a news release announcing the vote. “But as a kiosk, we’re more of a family than other stores, and there’s a lot of strength in that unity.”
Workers at Starbucks stores on Mt. Hope in Rochester, and Whole Foods Plaza in Brighton, were the first in the region to unionize earlier this year.
Dozens of Starbucks stores have unionized nationally. And the retailer has been accused of illegal pushback, in dozens of complaints alleging labor law violations.
In a statement, a Starbucks spokesperson denied claims of union-busting and said the company respects workers' right to organize but maintained, “We are better together as partners, without a union between us.”