KEZI.com
by Chris Lueneburg
January 11, 2022
EUGENE, Ore. -- A Starbucks location in Eugene was the first in Oregon to file a union petition with the National Labor Relations Board last week, the first step toward a unionization vote.
The 29th Avenue and Willamette Street location in south Eugene filed the petition last week, according to two baristas who led the effort collecting signatures. They report that 23 out of 25 workers at the store signed petition cards.
"We are partners in name only," said barista Ky Fireside. "We want Starbucks to understand we want a voice."
The location joins over a dozen other Starbucks stores in locations like Seattle, Chicago, and New York that have taken steps toward unionization. The effort began with a store in Buffalo, New York, where workers voted to become the first unionized Starbucks in December.