Starbucks on Mass. Ave becomes 7th store to unionize in Indiana

The employees at the Starbucks on Mass. Ave have voted to unionize, increasing union density in the national chain that has seen a massive wave of union efforts in the last three years.

The Mass. Ave store will be the 7th unionized store in Indiana and the first in downtown Indianapolis. Starbucks Workers United, which represents some 460 unionized Starbucks shops, has also won elections this week in Ohio, California, Georgia, Vermont, Arizona, Washington and New York. Across the country, Starbucks workers are fighting for higher wages, better scheduling, racial and gender equity and respect, according to the union. Employees at the Mass. Ave location said they want to work together to improve the shop.

"I'm proud of my team and hopeful for the future. My coworkers are incredible people, so it brings me much joy to know our value as partners will be recognized and our voices will be heard," Saturn Adair, a barista at the location, said in a statement.

Starbucks held off union efforts at its stores for decades before a location in Buffalo, New York, unionized in 2021, setting off a dominos effort at hundreds of stores across the country. In 2022, a store in southern Indiana became the first location in Indiana to unionize, joining some 460 unionized stores represented by Starbucks Workers United.

The coffee company is negotiating its first contract with thousands of its unionized workers. The union aims to have contracts for stores by the end of the year, according to Starbucks Workers United.

Binghui Huang can be reached at 317-385-1595 or Bhuang@gannett.com