Starbucks Union Spreads To Virginia With 5 Election Victories

The union representing Starbucks workers won a clean sweep of five store elections in the Virginia area on Tuesday, showing no signs of slowing down as they try to organize the coffee chain store by store.

Since the first votes were cast late last year, the Starbucks Workers United campaign has won more than 20 union elections and lost just two. None of the chain's stores were organized before.

A majority of votes need to be cast to become the bargaining representative for a workplace. The union won all five store votes on Tuesday, 17-1, 22-3, 11-2, 13-8 and 19-0.

The union lost a close election at a store in Virginia. There were many unanimous counts in favor of the union before the vote.

The campaign is watched very closely. Union membership has been on the decline for years, and unions have struggled to gain a foothold in the fast-food economy. The success of the Starbucks campaign and a recent union victory at Amazon have kindled hopes of a labor resurgence, with unions seeing their highest approval ratings in years.

Starbucks has put up stiff resistance to the organizing campaign, with managers trying to persuade workers to vote against the union.

We can't ignore what is happening in the country as it relates to companies being attacked by the threat of unionization.

A number of outspoken union supporters have been fired by the company. The union has filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing Starbucks workers of being retaliated against. According to a recent report, board officials have determined that seven firings in Memphis, Tennessee, were illegal.

Workers will try to get a first union contract when the battleground shifts to the bargaining table as the union continues to rack up election victories. A Starbucks spokesman predicted in an interview with HuffPost last week that it would be difficult for partners to develop a contract that exceeds what they already offer.

Starbucks might offer new work benefits only in the union stores, according to the company's CEO.