Vernon Starbucks Baristas Vote Yes for a Union

Baristas at the Starbucks in Vernon won their union election 13-1 on July 14, two weeks after a new law went into effect in Connecticut preventing employers from disciplining employees who refuse to sit through mandatory anti-union meetings.

Connecticut labor leaders had fought to ban "captive audience" meetings for more than a decade. A bill was first introduced in 2005. Each year management groups lobbied against it.

This time the bill passed on an 88 to 56 vote, generally along party lines.

Connecticut is now one of only two states with laws to protect workers from being forced to listen to anti-union speeches. Oregon is the other state.

When they voted yes for the union the Vernon Starbucks the workers became the second Connecticut Starbucks to unionize, joining workers at Corbin's Corner Starbucks in West Hartford who won their union earlier this year. They are organizing with the union "Workers United".

The workers cite low pay, lack of affordable health benefits, and pressure to come in to work sick.

“Enough is enough,” Salwa Mogaddedi, a barista at the Vernon location, said. “Frankly, we are tired of the intimidation and the lies against our unionizing efforts, unfolded during captive audience meetings, under fear of discipline.”

Mogaddedi thanked Connecticut labor lobbyists for their support, saying the law is "an important first step in the right direction resolving the policies that make it difficult for workers to organize in the first place."

"We hope this gives confidence to other workers who are seeking to gain concessions from the goliaths of industry. If we regular working class people can take on one of the most impermeable companies and win, then workers everywhere can win as well,” she said.

"We stand in solidarity with Starbucks workers everywhere. We will not allow ourselves to be intimidated any longer and we will continue to fight for better standards. Labor is entitled to all it creates. All power to the working class," Mogaddedi concluded.

State Senator Gary Winfield, chair of the Judiciary Committee, said the law has "given a little bit of relief to workers and I hope we continue in this vein".