TOLEDO, Ohio — A west Toledo Starbucks location has filed a petition for a union election alongside 17 other stores in the U.S.
The Westgate Starbucks, located on Central Avenue near Secor Road, filed the petition with the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday.
It is one of a growing number of locations to make the move toward unionizing in the years since the first Starbucks unionized in 2021.
Over 10,500 workers at more than 440 stores in 43 states and Washington, D.C., are Starbucks union members, according to a press release from Starbucks Workers United.
"I've been a barista at our Westgate Starbucks for four years; my work doesn't feel the way it did when I started. We’ve experienced a lack of staffing, training, hours, product, and equipment maintenance. My wage hasn’t risen enough to match the rising cost of living, or the increase in our workload as Starbucks expands its offerings,” Westgate Starbucks employee Casey McArthur said in the press release. "I'm so proud of our team for doing the work and taking this opportunity to file. I haven't felt like my voice has been heard, and now we have the chance to make real change through our collective voice."
No Starbucks locations in northwest Ohio have unionized. However, a Maumee Starbucks filed a petition to unionize in February 2023.
Currently, Ohio's unionized Starbucks are in Cleveland and northeast Ohio, Columbus and central Ohio, Cincinnati and Mansfield.
In addition to the Westgate Toledo store, an Akron Starbucks also filed its petition on Tuesday.
A letter was sent to Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan co-authored by workers from the 18 stores to announce the push to unionize.
"Though we work at different stores, we are united through our shared experiences and in our demand for higher wages, fair and consistent scheduling, improved benefits, and a safe and dignified workplace," the workers wrote. "We believe that forming a union is necessary to address these concerns and improve the working conditions of all Starbucks employees."