CALGARY – The United Steelworkers union (USW) has applied with the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) for a union-certification vote on behalf of Starbucks workers at Millrise Centre, store #4619, in Calgary.
The workers in Calgary join the growing number of Starbucks workers across North America who are organizing unions for better working conditions and wages, including employees at five stores in Lethbridge, Alta.
“The workers at Millrise Centre Starbucks have come forward to unionize because they have had enough and deserve better from the coffee giant,” said Pablo Guerra, USW organizer. “These young workers are leading the fight to unionize their store because they strongly believe joining the USW is the only way to have their voices be heard.”
There are 32 workers at the Millrise Centre store.
“It takes a lot of courage for workers to step forward to join a union, especially at a time when Starbucks is ramping up union-busting campaigns across Canada and the United States. The recent tactics deployed by Starbucks to try to keep out the union only prove the power of workers joining the union. It’s time for Starbucks to embrace and respect their partners’ right to unionize instead of retaliating against them just for wanting better working conditions.”
The ALRB is expected to authorize a vote of the Millrise Centre workers. To win the vote, the union must receive the support of more than half of the workers.
The USW represents Starbucks workers at the Douglas Street Drive-Thru store in Victoria, B.C. The USW also represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.
Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of our strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation – including good wages, benefits and pensions.
Workers interested in joining the United Steelworkers union can learn more about the benefits at betterworknow.ca or call 1-888-879-2411 (toll-free).
Pablo Guerra, USW Organizer, 236-509-4061, pguerra@usw.ca
Brett Barden, USW Communications, 604-445-6956, bbarden@usw.ca
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