Rare Starbucks union vote set to begin in Buffalo

November 12, 2021

Employees at Starbucks locations around Buffalo, N.Y. will begin voting this week on whether they want to be represented by a union, a possible first for the coffee giant. An article published by The State, “Rare Starbucks union vote set to begin in Buffalo,” emphasizes that this is just one example of increasing worker unrest in post-pandemic America. Dan Graff, Ph.D., director of the Higgins Labor Program, notes how many workers deemed essential during the pandemic still deal with pre-pandemic problems such as low wages and disrespect in the workplace. 

“It’s a fraught public space that we live in right now and more workers have had the opportunity to reflect and think about these issues,” Graff said.