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4w ago

Ontario Starbucks Workers Ratify First Union Contracts

Five stores in Ajax, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Toronto finalize agreements, marking a breakthrough for Canadian labor efforts at the coffee giant.

FILE - A customer exits a Starbucks store in Oakland, Calif., Jan. 16, 2025.
Patrons leave a Starbucks location in Toronto. The United Steelworkers union says workers at five Starbucks locations in Ontario have ratified their first collective agreements.
This is a sign in front of a Starbucks in Dormont, Pa., Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Overview

  • Workers at five Starbucks locations in Ontario have ratified their first collective agreements, a significant milestone for unionization in Canada.
  • The unionized stores include locations in Ajax, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Toronto, representing a major step forward for the United Steelworkers union.
  • Starbucks' unionization efforts in Canada have faced challenges, including the closure of its only unionized Vancouver location in 2023.
  • The B.C. Labour Relations Board ruled in February 2025 that Starbucks wrongfully threatened a union-supporting employee in Langley, B.C., despite finding the Vancouver closure justified.
  • In the U.S., Starbucks Workers United has grown since 2021 to represent over 570 stores and 11,000 workers, reflecting a broader push for collective bargaining across North America.