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In December 2021, the Elmwood Avenue store in Buffalo became the first location in the United States to unionize in the 2020s. The first union vote in Starbucks' hometown of Seattle was unanimously in favor of the union. As of October 2022, a total of 256 stores in 35 states voted in favor of unionizing and stores across the country are awaiting union votes. As of February 2023, the longest Starbucks strike lasted 64 days, took place in Boston (Brookline), Massachusetts, and resulted in the unionization of the employees at that location.

Strike
A strike consists of a large number of employees that want to attract the attention of the company’s superiors. Historically, labor strikes have been used as a way for employees to demand better pay and job benefits, flexibility, and improved working conditions. Striking is a way for employees to put pressure on their target (employers or the government) to respond and act accordingly. Striking is financially risky for both the company and its employees because the employees are not working and earning their wages and the company is therefore not getting any business from customers. During this time, strikers are putting themselves in a financial struggle that may make it hard for them to pay for their basic necessities, while also risking the possibility of being fired if the strike is not successful.

Many historical strikes dating back to the 1800s set a precedent and demonstrated the power of striking. For example, the Pullman Railway Strike (1984) led to the establishment of Labor Day on the first Monday of September, the Flint Sit-Down Strike (1936-37) swayed the rich and powerful General Motors to come to terms, or the nonviolent Delano Grape Strike (1965-70) led by Cesar Chavez demanding better pay and working conditions for Mexican- and Filipino-American workers. Strikes like these continue to inspire employees to fight for better labor rights and form labor unions.

Boston (Brookline)
As of February 2023, the longest Starbucks Union strike in United States history lasted 64 days, beginning on July 11, 2022 and ending on September 15, 2022 at the 874 Commonwealth Avenue location in Boston, Massachusetts. This particular strike was sparked by a new hourly minimum policy that was going to be enforced on July 11, 2022. The policy was going to require workers to adjust their schedules to meet a minimum availability of hours. Workers stated that the Starbucks at the Commonwealth Avenue (Brookline) location was having problems with understaffing, cutting hours, and a "disrespectful manager." Now the company was going to be demanding that minimum hourly labor requirements be met or threatening workers with replacement or termination. The workers at the Brookline Starbucks walked out on July 11, 2022. Strikers set up camp at the entrance to the restaurant and picketed for 64 days straight. Politicians of Massachusetts and other nearby politicians took notice of the Brookline Starbucks workers' efforts and joined them in the picket lines.

Employees that participated agreed that the strike was "frustrating" and "tiring" but ultimately "rewarding" and "inspiring". Participants claimed that they felt a strong sense of community both amongst the workers and the loyal customers and supporters of the Brookline Starbucks location. On September 22, 2022, Boston Starbucks Workers United tweeted about their victory of unionization after 64 days of striking. Boston University business professor Michael Anteby told BU Today that this strike may have partly been driven by the feeling of being easily replaceable as an employee, especially at a company with a lot of turnover. Anteby explained, “Maybe during COVID there was a feeling that lots of jobs were essential. …The narrative of you being a hero, being essential, was there. It empowered workers to think of themselves as essential. But in the eyes of the employers, there are still replaceable.” Additionally, Anteby claims that technology has played an important role in today's strikes, protests, and other similar events. Using technology, Starbucks workers were able to organize their worker's unions, get in contact with employees from other locations and compare working conditions, and empower workers in the U.S. to advocate for better overall working conditions.

As of February 2023, there are 238 unionized Starbucks locations in the U.S., more than 300 other locations have filed for unionization, and hundreds of unfair labor practice charges have been filed against Starbucks by unionized U.S. employees.