Iowa City Starbucks workers strike for one day

IOWA CITY — Employees of the first Starbucks in Iowa to pursue a union held a one-day “Strike with Pride” Friday to support unionization efforts and protest the alleged removal of LGBTQ displays at some Starbucks nationwide.

Around 20 workers holding signs gathered at 3 p.m. outside the Starbucks at 228 S. Clinton St. Demonstrators also gathered there around 10 a.m.

Abigail Schettmann, one of the employees striking, said she and others would explain the strike and unionization efforts to passersby and encourage patrons to visit a different location.

“Everyone's been pretty supportive,” she said.

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The downtown Starbucks was forced to close for several hours in the morning until managers came in and worked, according to Schettmann.

Sarah Kakert, a shift supervisor at the Iowa City Starbucks off Highway 1 — known as the Riverside Starbucks — said the strike efforts and closure had tangible impacts.

She said that when one Starbucks location closes, online orders are sent to the nearest alternative. For the downtown Iowa City Starbucks, that is the Riverside location, and Kakert said they were “absolutely slammed.”

Kakert also said while there are no concrete plans for the Riverside location to unionize, some of the store employees have been discussing it.

Unionization efforts

The unionization petition for the 31 employees of the downtown Iowa City Starbucks was filed March 27.

In a TikTok video, workers said they want a union to prioritize employee and customer safety, give employees a voice and guarantee consistent schedules without the fear of losing shifts.

@sbworkersunited The March Madness wins for Iowa continue off the court! Burlington & Clinton in Iowa City is the first store in the state to file for a union election!! #union #starbucks #organize #iowa ♬ Chill Vibes

The petition was filed with the National Labor Relations Board, with organizers saying they seek to unionize all full-time baristas, regular part-time baristas and shift supervisors.

On May 11, workers unanimously voted, 25-0, to be represented by Starbucks Workers United.

Workers in downtown Iowa City UNANIMOUSLY voted to unionize today, 25-0!! They become the first store in the state to join the movement pic.twitter.com/MYKRwborNU

— Starbucks Workers United (@SBWorkersUnited) May 11, 2023

Nationally, over 330 Starbucks have unionized through Starbucks Workers United, according to the union’s website. The company has about 16,000 stores in the United States.

While the Iowa City strike was in tandem with a nationwide strike regarding LGBTQ displays in stores, the unionization effort was more prominent in Friday’s rhetoric and signs.

Luis Aispuro, a barista at the Iowa City Starbucks, said the company has not begun to negotiate contracts with any of the stores that have unionized. The first Starbucks to unionize was in Buffalo, N.Y., at the end of 2021.

“The more stores unionize, it's just better for worker representation and worker rights,” Aispuro said. “That’s really what this is all about.”

The “Strike with Pride” stems from allegations by Starbucks Workers United that managers at certain Starbucks stores were removing LGBTQ pride-related decorations. About 150 locations undertook “Strike with Pride” walkouts, according to the union.

“Starbucks uses their progressive image as a way to get people to come and work for the company,” Aispuro said. “In the past, it wasn't an issue. This year, it was.”

According to an AP report, Starbucks denied the union’s allegations, stating there has been no change in corporate policy regarding pride displays.

Several of the signs employees were holding read messages promoting LGBTQ support, including “workers rights are queer rights,” and “trans rights are workers’ and human rights.”

Schettmann said the 24-hour strike and unionization efforts have received support from other stores in the area.

“We're not just standing up for our own LGBTQ workers today,” Schettmann said. “It’s workers in Iowa and every single Starbucks.”

Comments: Jami.Martin-Trainor@thegazette.com