West Virginia Starbucks location votes to unionize

FLATWOODS, W.Va. (WBOY) — Workers at the Flatwoods Factory Starbucks location in Braxton County, West Virginia voted 10-1 to unionize.

A spokesperson for Starbucks Workers United told 12 News that the employees won their vote on Friday, July 18 after filing to vote just 10 days earlier .

The union spokesperson told 12 News that the effort to unionize at that location actually began last year, in late March 2023, but the vote failed 6-8 after a “laundry list of illegal union busting tactics including bribes, threats, retaliatory terminations, and surveillance.”

In April of 2024, the employees “received a small settlement with the company that included back pay for one illegally fired worker along with a statement outlining their rights under the National Labor Relations Act posted in their back of house.”

12 News reached out to Starbucks and received the following statement:

At Starbucks we believe that our direct relationship as partners is core to the experiences we create in our stores, and we respect our partners rights to have a choice on the topic of unions.

We are committed to delivering on our promise to offer a bridge to a better future to all Starbucks partners.

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