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Workers at 2 More Boston Starbucks Began Unionization Effort

As of Tuesday, 23 of around 30 employees at the Cleveland Circle and Lower Allston locations signed cards indicating their intent to unionize

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Workers at two more Starbucks locations in the Boston area have started efforts to join a union after a one of the national coffee shop chain’s locations in Buffalo, New York, became the first to unionize last month.

As of Tuesday, 23 of around 30 employees at the Cleveland Circle and Lower Allston locations signed cards indicating their intent to unionize, according to organizing committee members working with the Workers United Labor Union, GBH News reported Wednesday.

Previously, workers at stores in the Coolidge Corner area of Brookline and Allston began the process of unionizing.

“We anticipate quite a few more in the coming weeks,” said Kylah Clay, 23, a barista in Allston and organizer of the Massachusetts effort. “There’s been an insane amount of interest in this, which is incredibly exciting.”

Starbucks has fought unionization efforts, but a company spokesperson told GBH News it is “listening and learning” from staff in these stores and that the company’s success is built on those partnerships.

Employees at the two original Boston-area locations held a hearing with the National Labor Relations Board last week to negotiate which of them will be eligible to vote in a formal election.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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