18 January 2024
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Another Wichita Starbucks may have union workers. Starbucks Workers United says the Central and Tyler Starbucks workers filed a petition Thursday with the National Labor Relations Board to unionize.
According to the union, the workers sent a letter to Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan to announce their organizing plan. In the letter, the workers claimed they are dealing with understaffing, unfair scheduling and lack of support from management.
“We deserve livable wages, substantial hours and safe work environments. Partners are exhausted trying to maintain a standard that’s unsustainable,” said Ash Stills, a barista of three years and organizer at the Central and Tyler Starbucks. “We believe joining the union will mean getting what we need to do our jobs successfully and aligning with the values and customs Starbucks has instilled.”
If the Central and Tyler workers unionize, they will be the second Starbucks in Wichita that has union workers. The workers at the Central and Rock Starbucks voted to unionize in August 2022.
Workers at the 21st and Amidon Starbucks filed to unionize in May 2022 but failed to get enough votes to join the union.
The union says it all depends on peer-to-peer organizing led by workers. It says more than 380 Starbucks stores nationwide have successfully unionized since December 2021.
KSN News has reached out to Starbucks for comment. We will update this story if we hear back.