Calgary Starbucks workers unionize after accepting collective agreement – Calgary

A Starbucks cafe in south Calgary has made history in Alberta, becoming the first of the chain to unionize in the province and the second in the country.

The United Steelworkers (USW) announced a three-year collective agreement on Friday after workers at the Millrise Centre location voted to accept the contract.

“Reaching this deal is such a ground-breaking achievement for us because it does not just benefit the Starbucks workers in Calgary, it sets a precedent for all Starbucks workers as well as the broader coffee industry,” Jacob Dickenscheid, USW Local 1-207 bargaining committee member, said in a statement.

The union said during the bargaining process, it was able secure improved working conditions, better job security, dispute resolution processes and wage increases: five per cent upon ratification and an additional five more per cent in the next two years.

“The collective bargaining agreement reached with the United Steelworkers, which represents 20 partners (employees) at our Millrise Centre Starbucks Drive-Thru in Calgary, Alta., is the result of collaborative and constructive conversations at the bargaining table,” a Starbucks spokesperson said in a statement. “While we believe our direct relationship as partners is core to the culture and experiences we create in our stores, Starbucks has always been committed to bargaining in good faith.”

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More Alberta Starbucks locations vote to unionize

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Workers at the Millrise Starbucks voted to unionize in July 2022.

The union said it built on previous unionization work in a Victoria, B.C. location.

“One of the most exciting parts of our accomplishment is that we have taken the ‘blueprint’ the Douglas St. Starbucks store in Victoria set out for us and improved upon it wherever we could. This new deal will hopefully inspire partners here in Canada and across the United States where over 300 stores are currently struggling to reach their first collective agreements,” Dickenscheid said.

Starbucks workers at stores in Calgary, Edmonton and Sherwood Park, Alta., and four cities in B.C. have voted to unionize with USW.

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