COCKEYSVILLE, Md. —
Baristas took part Friday in the third week of an open-ended national strike as more Maryland Starbucks Coffee locations are poised to vote on whether to unionize.
Employees told WBAL-TV 11 News it's not a matter of if, but when more stores unionize, and they believe it will give workers elsewhere the courage to join the labor movement.
The union is pushing the company to return to the bargaining table as it seeks a contract.
Union officials told WBAL-TV 11 News that three locations in the greater Baltimore region have filed for union elections to join Starbucks Workers United, including the Corridor Marketplace store in Laurel, the pickup-only location on Dulaney Valley Road in Towson and the York Road location in Cockeysville.
"You just (have) to make a stand, you know?" said Aaron Sokol, a Starbucks barista for the past 18 years and shift supervisor in Cockeysville
The workers are pushing for better working conditions, including a livable wage and adequate staffing levels.
"I just keep on seeing a cycle where they give us staff. We don't have the business, we don't have the staff for that," Sokol told WBAL-TV 11 News. "It hurts, it hurts. It makes us look bad. It makes us not as efficient for them. And it's, a loss all around."
Shift supervisor Willie Swain is in his fourth year at the Dulaney Plaza Starbucks.
"I do think we have widespread support," Swain told WBAL-TV 11 News.
Swain said he's worried about the future of his pickup-only location.
"It was announced that all pickup stores would be closed by the end of 2026," Swain told WBAL-TV 11 News. "That left us in an interesting, precarious position. Like, are we going to be closed down for good? Are we going to be remodeled? And, without proper answers to those questions, we feel now is the time to sort of mobilize and unite and try to fight to keep our store, if we can."
The union accuses Starbucks of union-busting, unfair labor practices and refusing to negotiate.
In a statement sent to WBAL-TV 11 News, a Starbucks representative denied the claims, while painting the strike as a "dud" and union membership as insignificant at "less than 4%," writing that "99% of our 17,000 U.S. locations remain open and welcoming customers."