It’s Worker Wednesday: July 17, 2024.

A second Starbucks has officially unionized in Iowa—and two workers I spoke with say they were almost the first.

Eighteen workers at the Starbucks store on East 53rd Street in Davenport filed with the National Labor Relations Board to unionize in May. Out of 17 eligible voters, 16 of them voted—and 15 voted for the union, an overwhelming win.

There are now two unionized Starbucks in Iowa (Iowa City’s Clinton and Burlington location voted to unionized last year), joining more than 460 stores across the country who are now part of Starbucks Workers United.

Alexis Miller and Braiden McClurg, two Davenport Starbucks workers who helped organize their coworkers, say their main motivation was how the company transitioned from a “chill” café vibe to a fast food, metrics-driven workplace. The company also increased responsibilities that baristas have to juggle, without providing any extra help.

Braiden McClurg, left, and Alexis Miller. (Courtesy Alexis Miller)

Miller said quiet conversations about unionizing began in the fall of 2021, but different managers and other stores opening nearby put it on pause. But then McClurg started at the store and had “a really horrible experience” with an interim manager, and called up Miller.

“And I was just like, ‘We have to do this. This is horrible,’” McClurg recalled. “After that, I think we became really serious about it.”

Their biggest hurdle was explaining what exactly a union was to the store’s mainly 20-something workforce.

“They weren’t against unions,” Miller said. “We just had to inform them of what was going on.”

Once they did, nearly everyone was on board—something that was reflected in the vote.

“It was just yes after yes,” McClurg said of the vote tallying. “It was so satisfying just to have really shown (Starbucks) how much of a united front we were. They did not expect that at all. So it was really nice to see us all come together and the results of that effort.”

Their advice to other Iowa Starbucks workers looking to do the same?

“Reach out, because Workers United is so nice,” Miller said. “Everybody we’ve talked to has just been the sweetest and been there.”

“And keep going,” McClurg said. “Even when it seems to slow down, just keep going.”

What’s next: Unionized Starbucks workers finally pressured the company to begin bargaining over a contract; read the latest on their progress here.

Looking to organize your Starbucks, or show solidarity? Get help, or learn how to help, here.

Amie Rivers

Community Editor, Iowa Starting Line

Email me

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(Shutterstock)

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Before you punch out 🐘

This week, in a first, Teamsters president Sean O’Brien spoke at the Republican National Convention, railing against big business and trying to convince Republicans gathered there to back working folks.

This, labor journalists like Hamilton Nolan argued, was “stupid,” least of all because both Trump and his new vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance have long been in cahoots with the rich. (Oh, and the fact that not a single Republican supports the PRO Act.)

Meanwhile, the Iowa Teamsters are done playing nice with Republicans (working to reverse the gutting of public sector bargaining).