A Starbucks cafe in south Calgary has made history in Alberta, becoming the first of the chain to unionize in the province and the second in the country.
The United Steelworkers (USW) announced a three-year collective agreement on Friday after workers at the Millrise Centre location voted to accept the contract on Thursday.
“Reaching this deal is such a ground-breaking achievement for us because it does not just benefit the Starbucks workers in Calgary, it sets a precedent for all Starbucks workers as well as the broader coffee industry,” Jacob Dickenscheid, USW Local 1-207 bargaining committee member, said in a statement.
The union said during the bargaining process, it was able secure improved working conditions, better job security, dispute resolution processes and wage increases: five per cent upon ratification and an additional five more per cent in the next two years.
“The collective bargaining agreement reached with the United Steelworkers, which represents 20 partners (employees) at our Millrise Centre Starbucks Drive-Thru in Calgary, Alta., is the result of collaborative and constructive conversations at the bargaining table,” a Starbucks spokesperson said in a statement. “While we believe our direct relationship as partners is core to the culture and experiences we create in our stores, Starbucks has always been committed to bargaining in good faith.”
A University of Alberta law professor said he’s interested to see if this is the beginning of a renewed unionization movement in the province.
“My own hunch is that probably there will be other franchises that begin to look at this as a model,” Eric Adams said.
“There’s no question it’s a major deal when you see a successful unionization effort that leads to a collective agreement in an industry and with an employer that has for so long managed to resist unionization efforts.”
Adams said a collaborative tone between the employer and the union is what leads to “good collective agreements that protect workers and represent the best interests of the management of that company.”
“When unionization efforts work well, it’s because you’ve got the mutual respect and regard of both the employer and the union itself.”
Alexander Shevalier, president of the Calgary and District Labour Council, congratulated the workers and USW for organizing and negotiating a CBA.
“I’m also thrilled that they’ve secured their collective agreement because that sort of sets the floor for them. And then there are then they can improve upon that as time progresses,” Shevalier said.
Workers at the Millrise Starbucks voted to unionize in July 2022.
The union said it built on previous unionization work in a Victoria, B.C. location.
“One of the most exciting parts of our accomplishment is that we have taken the ‘blueprint’ the Douglas St. Starbucks store in Victoria set out for us and improved upon it wherever we could. This new deal will hopefully inspire partners here in Canada and across the United States where over 300 stores are currently struggling to reach their first collective agreements,” Dickenscheid said.
Starbucks workers at stores in Calgary, Edmonton and Sherwood Park, Alta., and four cities in B.C. have voted to unionize with USW.
Shevalier said there’s ample opportunity for other workplaces in Calgary to organize.
“You’re seeing a lot of energy, particularly out of Starbucks right now, because I think workers are frustrated,” he said. “I think you’ll see people joining unions in greater and greater numbers because previously inflation was quite high and I don’t think workers have made up for that in terms of bargaining and wages.
“And so I think as the gulf of what they need to live in Calgary versus what they’re actually earning – when they gulf increases more and more – I think people will look to improve jobs through unionizing.”