Affton Starbucks workers strike on Labor Day over unfair Labor practices

By SHERI GASSAWAY
Missouri Correspondent

Affton, MO – Fed up with Starbucks’ union-busting tactics, Starbucks baristas at the Gravois and Rock Hill roads location went on strike on Labor Day over the company’s unfair Labor practices.

The workers, represented by Starbucks Workers United, filed Unfair Labor Practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board and walked off the job in disgust Sept. 3. The next day, the baristas shut down the café again and went on strike, demanding a fair contract and union recognition.

THREATS, DISCOURSE
“There have been threats and unfair disciplinary actions toward union leaders prior to the union vote and afterward,” said Emily Daughtery, a barista and union organizer at the store. “There’s also been a lot of discourse about union literature being posted in the back of house, which is a non-work area.”

Daughtery said the baristas had been “spoken to” about the consequences by the store manager and the district manager. She also said the store has lost a quarter of its staff and there are no plans to replace them.

‘COMPLETELY DISMISSED’
“We just feel lost and completely dismissed by management,” she said. “They won’t answer our phone calls and won’t support the store when it’s needed.”

The Affton store is one of seven locations that have voted to organize in the St. Louis area. Employees there voted for union representation last month. Other St. louis area Starbucks that have organized include the following locations:

• Page Avenue and Ball Drive in Maryland Heights.
• Grand Avenue and Sidney Street in St. Louis.
• Lindbergh Boulevard and Clayton Road in Ladue.
• Hanley Road and Dale Avenue in Richmond Heights.
• Hampton and Wise avenues in St. Louis.
• Kingshighway Boulevard and Chippewa Street in St. Louis.

A NATIONWIDE MOVEMENT
The St. Louis baristas are joining a nationwide movement of over 8,000 baristas organizing for better working conditions, fair wages and consistent schedules.

Starbucks has launched a ruthless union-busting campaign that includes threatening workers’ access to benefits, firing over 230 union leaders across the country, and shuttering union stores. The NLRB has issued over 100 official complaints against the company, encompassing over 1,600 violations of federal Labor law.

Since December 2021, over 330 Starbucks stores in 38 states and the District of Columbia have successfully unionized — more than any company in the 21st century.