The employees at the Starbucks on Manhasset’s Plandome Road filed a petition for a union election last week, the latest store to seek unionization along with hundreds of others nationwide.
“We are voting to unionize because of our love for each other,” said Alfred Manuel Cabrera, a shift supervisor of one year. “We understand how great our service can be when properly supported. Recently we feel like that hasn’t been the case. Joining the union is trying our best at being sustainable.”
The employees filed a petition for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday, July 9.
Starbucks Workers United is a national labor union founded in Buffalo in 2021.
The intent of the unionization is to ensure employees receive living wages, respect, racial and gender equity and fair scheduling.
Nationwide, more than 600 Starbucks stores and their 11,000 employees have unionized.
Multiple other Long Island Starbucks employees have moved to unionize.
What led up to the petition filing was what Cabrera described as a tough period the store faced with high volumes of orders. He said this occurred as hours were cut and shifts were understaffed
“We do have a very strong team, so we understand what hard work can be,” Cabrera said. “…And recently it just felt a little too taxing.”
Cabrera stressed that the challenges they seek to fix through unionization were not caused by the store’s local management but rather the direction from the national corporation. He said his store manager has done well working with them and supporting the store’s employees.
He said they have asked for more help on the store floor, yet these requests have not been met. He attributed this to direction from the corporation’s office.
Cabrera said unionization was the next “logical step” for service workers like himself and his co-workers to seek fair work environments amid silence from higher-ups.
He said unionization would ensure that Starbucks corporate leaders would hear their workplace requests.
Cabrera said unionization talks have spurred excitement at his store. He said similar issues have transpired at other area Starbucks, and their unionziation actions could create ripples locally.
“We’ll see if this can help inspire them,” Cabrera said.
