Organizers said that unions among Canadian Starbucks employees are gaining momentum, but like their counterparts in the United States, workers face barriers and alleged anti-union activity from the coffee giant.

More than a year before the recent wave of Starbucks unions began in the United States, a store in Victoria joined a union in August 2020 – and workers across the country took notice.

Now, there are six unionized locations across British Columbia and Alberta, and organizers say there are more.

Scott Loney, USW director for Western Canada, also said: "I think the pandemic made people look at their lives, work, and community a little differently."

Since late last year, more than 250 stores south of the border have voted to form unions, according to the National Labor Relations Board.

But a successful certification vote is just one step in union formation, as workers do not start paying dues until a contract is negotiated. The Associated Press reported that although contract talks have begun with some U.S. stores, no agreements have been reached.

Last Thursday, workers at more than a hundred U.S. stores went on strike to protest working conditions. This makes the Victoria store the only site in North America that has reached a collective agreement with the company.

Loney said that in some cases, stores in the same geographic area can organize in groups as a single bargaining unit. Also, Sarah Broad, the shift supervisor and union representative, said that when deciding to join a union, Victoria workers wanted more support regarding customer harassment and clearer communication about COVID-19 practices.

Furthermore, Broad said she has noticed a significant difference since contract certification, with “tenfold” improvements in health and safety. Workers also received wage increases. But it hasn’t all been smooth; earlier this year, Starbucks said it would give increases and other improvements to workers across Canada and other jurisdictions. However, Broad said a message was posted in the back room of the Victoria store indicating they would not get an increase because of the union contract. Starbucks spokeswoman Carly Suppa said in an email this is because the Victoria store contract includes annual wage increases.

Additionally, USW filed a labor complaint on behalf of the Victoria store. Loney said this is one of several labor complaints the union has filed on behalf of Starbucks stores, one of which is still active – accusing the company of disciplining a union organizer in Lethbridge.

Workers in the United States have also faced alleged anti-union activity, with the National Labor Relations Board asking the federal court to intervene in cases where Starbucks fired union organizers. Suppa said Starbucks has never disciplined any employee for participating in lawful union activity in the United States or Canada.

The Associated Press reported in May that the increase announced in May was also implemented in the United States, except for those who voted to unionize or filed petitions for union elections.

In a statement posted on one.starbucks.com, a Starbucks website launched in February, the company said U.S. labor law restricts improvements it can make to wages and benefits during the union-formation process and once a store becomes unionized, but it said recent improvements are likely to be negotiated at the bargaining table. The company continues to invest in wages, benefits, policies, safety, and training, and Starbucks believes it can do more for its employees by working side-by-side rather than at the bargaining table.

On the Canadian version of its media website, launched in July, the company urged workers to research before signing a union card and said that if approved, workers would no longer be able to address their concerns directly with the company.