Barcroft Plaza Starbucks baristas vote to unionize
Employees at the Starbucks at Barcroft Plaza voted to unionize on July 7.
Nine of 15 eligible workers (baristas and shift supervisors) at the coffee shop at 6365 Columbia Pike voted to join Starbucks Workers United.
One of the baristas told Annandale Today their biggest complaint has to do with scheduling issues by a manager who wasn’t trained on the basics and didn’t listen to employees. That manager has been transferred to another Starbucks.
Schedules were changed without notice, said another barista, who noted a minor was assigned to open the shop at 4:30 a.m. He earns $17.09 an hour and started at $16. He works 32 to 38 hours a week.
Starbucks Workers United was launched in Buffalo, N.Y., in 2021. The union represents more than 12,000 baristas at nearly 700 locations in the United States.
The union is fighting for $17-an-hour starting wages for the lowest-paid baristas, 4% annual raises, reasonable scheduling, health and safety protections, and an end to union busting.
According to the union, “We’re understaffed, struggling to get by, and lack critical on-the-job protection. Starbucks wages start at $15.25 or $16/hour in 43 states.” Some baristas have to rely on SNAP, and “we often don’t get enough hours to pay rent or qualify for healthcare.”
Workers at the Starbucks at 3046 Gatehouse Plaza in Merrifield unionized in April 2022, becoming the first Starbucks in Fairfax County to do so. Workers at that shop formed a picket line in December as part of a nationwide strike.
Other unionized Starbucks in Northern Virginia are located at:
- 2200 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington,
- 8408A Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield,
- 11725 Route 29, Fairfax,
- 1438 Chain Bridge Road, McLean,
- 11610 Plaza America Drive, Reston,Â
- 21021 Southbank St., Sterling,
- 44185 Ashbrook Marketplace Plaza, Ashburn, and
- 526 E. Market St., Leesburg.
Related story: Barcroft Plaza Starbucks reopens
Awesome – can’t wait for $12 coffees next
if you can’t afford to pay what it takes to pay worker to live a decent life, may i suggest making coffee at home?
sbux is a huge corporation and can afford to pay fair wages.
Excellent! I will be supporting them!! Unions are vital to our country’s health: 40 hour work week, minimum wage, safety regs. Starbucks’ execs can take a pay cut. They are overpaid for what they do.
To begin – there are no bad jobs – hard work should be appropriately rewarded – however – not disparaging these workers – but it is supply and demand -a job is worth what someone is willing to pay – plain and simple. Our school system and education at all levels has failed badly in teaching this concept. I worked a s a dishwasher, bus boy, McDonald’s, Usher at ball parks (not at any supervisor level)- loved each job but I never expected the so called fake propaganda “living wage” to support me- someone please define this term please. I never expected to buy a house with these jobs – they always supplemented another of my incomes. What to become wealthy? – Work two jobs for many years, invent something, get a trade, become a doctor, lawyer or pilot, save and spend wisely and you will get there. I can see this Starbucks closing within a year. I hope I am wrong because it has been a fixture in the community for many years – but I don’t think I am wrong.
Jobs like these paid enough back a few decades ago, its your boomer attitude wiping your memory of all the historical jobs that were replaced that paid people enough to live not on a poverty wage and be forced long hours while still having to resort on SNAP to survive.
Ageism isn’t nice. Allow this millennial to offer a different perspective.
A few decades ago there were zero people who thought working at a coffee shop past 16 years old was a good idea.
All the high school students at grocery stores and restaurants were replaced by angry androgynous adults who confuse a part-time summer job with a legitimate career.
These same adults now demand a “living wage” for jobs that they effectively stole from children.
Why should an adult make twice what a child makes for the same job, performed objectively worse and with a miserable attitude toward customers?
Ageism isn’t nice but commenting on someone’s androgynous appearance, when it has nothing to do with the subject is fine with you? Or do you somehow think that’s relevant?
I really hate to agree with you of all people but I do. But also remember back in the day SNL had a hilarious running gag with “Pat”?
Rhonda, why do you assume androgyny has a negative connotation? I find Jennifer’s observation descriptive and accurate. I don’t think anyone who makes a point to appear androgynous is hiding it. On the contrary, they are flaunting it, especially when their job is in the service industry. They are showing Pride.
So.. who worked the coffee shops while the 16 year olds were in class?
You’re wrong mark.
A Starbucks Coffee Co. spokesperson submitted the following response: “Starbucks has continued to bargain in good faith, putting forward comprehensive proposals that build on our competitive pay and industry-leading benefits, which average more than $30 an hour for eligible hourly partners. Throughout negotiations, we have remained focused on reaching agreements that support partners and strengthen the Starbucks experience.
“Starbucks offers one of the best jobs in retail, with more than one million people applying each year. We continue to invest in our partners through industry-leading pay and benefits, while expanding opportunities to share in the success of our coffeehouses providing performance-based bonuses of up to $1,200, expanded tipping options, and weekly pay.
“These updates will be implemented at non-union stores later this year and, as required by law, are subject to bargaining at the approximately 5% of U.S. stores represented by a union.”
$30 an hour plus obligatory tips is a LOT of money for screwing up my order so regularly that I stopped going to this location.
What you wrote is patently misunderstanding the $30/hr – that is not their take home pay – that is supposed to be the dollar amount of their actual hourly wages PLUS their benefits package.
As a former Starbucks partner I think this is incredible news – GO PARTNERS! All of you have the weirdest take on this. Why shouldn’t a job – any job – allow someone – high school, college or otherwise – to rent an apartment or expect benefits at their job? Not everyone has a desire to work in traditional “adult” jobs because they maybe enjoy what they do?
Do you expect the high school student who traditionally would take this job to also open the store so you can get your sugar bomb first thing? Would you allow your 16 year old to do that? I think not. Let’s use our common sense – if everyone went out and got that job as a doctor, pilot, or whatever else you listed, who would work at the Starbucks? Chick-Fil-A? Maybe robots.
Why yuck someone else’s yum? Its gross behavior.
Your head is way in the clouds, my friend. I have hated every job I had but kept climbing the ladder to provide for my family. Very few people do a job that they love that also pays enough to live. If you want to have fun, get a hobby. Work is work. Or, have fun and don’t expect anyone to pass you a tissue for your sniffles. Was your father in the house when you were growing up?
Well that sounds like a YOU problem. Work is necessary to survive but hating every job is not the company’s fault. One or two times, sure, every time, perhaps the mirror will show you the reason.
Did I say it was the company’s fault? I go where I can make the most money. I accepted the trade offs long ago and sleep well at night. The problem with most companies is that they are full of people, and all it takes is one or two toxic people to ruin it for me. Your mileage may vary.
They get benefits?! Are the benefits not worth money?! Is that fake money?!
And how about tips? I’m handed a credit card reader with very suggestive tip amounts in my face.
These workers have it great as far as I’m concerned.
And yes, a 16 year old can absolutely open the store. 16 year olds drive cars, fight in wars, and a certain political party wants 16 year olds to vote. I opened a good sized store with a work permit when I was 15 and a half.
Sixteen year olds have got the energy to get the order correct and still think of it as a summer job that looks good to real employers. They have futures as doctors, lawyers and engineers. What I don’t like is kids who don’t understand why adults like these expensive daily rituals, and think the customer isn’t going to care when they ask for one thing that they substitute or thin out with another, or too much steam. Expensive beverages should be made exactly as the customer requests, not a “try this instead” (soy milk), or incorrect substitute.
Full-time barista work is hard work and an exhaustive job. Food and beverage handlers should be paid accordingly.
I support this move by the workers, but I fear this might be the end of this location. Starbucks has a history of closing unionized locations.
What a bunch of losers! Anyone who expects Starbucks to be a career-type job paying a living wage is a loser! And, whoever taught you that is also a loser. Parents, teachers, friends, whoever, all losers.
Band together with your friends and start your own shop. Pay your workers as much as you want. But you won’t because you’re a lazy loser who’d rather sit around commenting on Annandale Today articles.
There are 24 hours in a day. You should be working 18 of them. At least.
And walking to work uphill both ways…. Like I did. In the snow.
Hey moderator you letting people masquerade as others??
To whomever was too cowardly to “identify” themselves: you got the point and agree with it or wouldn’t have reacted. Another loser.
You’re a loser! And you’re a loser! And you! And you! (Pointing fingers all around). Everyone’s a loser except me!
Someone under 18 makes $500 a week and that’s an example of needing to unionize? Union is fighting for $17 an hour starting wages, which seems to be the base pay at this location. Doubt the minor has to pay for rent or healthcare and doubt a union will pay rent or healthcare for others either– but they will surely take more of your money to argue for … benefits you already enjoy? Waking up at 4:30am – wasn’t that what minors did for paper routes back in the day for summer jobs? The poor manager (which exists in every single job ever) is gone. What exactly is the point of this?