The United Steelworkers union (USW) has filed with the British Columbia Labour Relations Board for union certification for Starbucks workers at Clayton Crossing, store #4620, in Surrey, B.C. There are 38 workers at the Clayton Crossing store.
The workers in Surrey join the growing number of Starbucks workers across North America who are organizing unions for better working conditions and wages. The Clayton Crossing Starbucks will join another unionized corporate store in Victoria, B.C., and six other stores in Alberta where workers are seeking union-certification votes.
“The workers at the Clayton Crossing Starbucks have come forward to unionize because they demand respect and being valued as a partner by the coffee giant,” said Pablo Guerra, USW organizer. “They are fighting because they recognize their value and that they deserve better from Starbucks, whose management continues to ignore their concerns. By joining a union, workers can fight back and these young workers are leading the way to a better future, not only for them but future generations of baristas.”
The union-certification application has been filed under B.C.’s new single-step union certification laws that received Royal Assent from the province’s NDP government on June 2, 2022.
“The recent change to union organizing laws in B.C. has removed barriers for workers to make it achievable to join together to negotiate better working conditions in their workplaces,” said Scott Lunny, USW Director for Western Canada and the Territories. “When at least 55% of workers sign union cards, the certification will be automatically recognized by the Labour Board, removing the opportunity for the company to pursue its anti-union tactics and the subsequent delays that result in unnecessary barriers to organizing.”
“We are proud to welcome another Starbucks store to our growing union family. It takes a lot of courage for workers to step forward to join a union, especially when we have seen the countless retaliatory and anti-union actions from Starbucks. It speaks volumes that workers are pushing back to make sure their voices are heard and we will be with them every step of the way,” added Lunny.
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).
Scott Lunny, USW Western Canada Director, 604-329-5308, slunny@usw.ca
Pablo Guerra, USW Organizer, 236-509-4061, pguerra@usw.ca
Brett Barden, USW Communications, 604-445-6956, bbarden@usw.ca
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