In Support of Starbucks Workers

WHEREAS, in the last several months, workers at two stores in Buffalo, N.Y., successfully voted to unionize, and three other Starbucks stores in Buffalo are in the middle of elections; and

WHEREAS, the stores organized in Buffalo are the first Starbucks-owned stores in the United States to be represented by a union since the 1980s; and

WHEREAS, Starbucks Workers United is a collective of Starbucks Partners, which started in the Buffalo region and is now organizing across the United States; and

WHEREAS, more than 70 stores in at least 20 states, representing more than 1,300 Starbucks workers, also are holding union elections; and

WHEREAS, as Starbucks has actively fought unionization at its stores for decades, its workers across the country are calling for a voice at work to address chronic problems like understaffing and faulty equipment, and to have more input on pay and store operations; and

WHEREAS, this movement has galvanized workers at other Starbucks across the nation and at other food chains as well:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers acknowledges this as a momentous time for working people across the country; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT stands in solidarity with Starbucks workers who are pro-Starbucks and pro-union. We join them in calling for Starbucks to be the best employer it can be; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will use its voice and communications team to educate our members regarding this effort, support workers in their efforts to organize and negotiate first contracts, and communicate our support to other national unions; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will publicly support these workers in their attempts to improve their future by forming unions to negotiate that future for themselves.

(Adopted February 24, 2022)