DENTON, Texas — Two Starbucks locations in Denton County are now union shops.
The Starbucks cafes at 4910 Teasley Lane in Denton and 11450 E University Drive in Cross Roads passed votes to join Starbucks Workers United, the union said. The Denton location voted 14-3 to join, and the Cross Roads location vote passed 15-2.
The two locations are just the latest in a brewing national effort by the union. The new stores became the fourth and fifth union shops in Denton County, the 24th and 25th in Texas and join over 520 stores across the U.S.
The unionization effort comes after an interview with ABC News, where Starbucks' new CEO, former Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol, said he wants the company's workers to be faster.
It also comes amid the busiest time of the year for Starbucks workers as the company promotes its annual holiday menu. When the company launched its Red Cup holiday menu last year, unionized workers walked off the job in protest, arguing the company should turn off mobile ordering on big promotional days.
Unionized stores are seeking protections on issues like wages, respect, equity and fair scheduling, according to a press release from Starbucks Workers United. The union said it has voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, if necessary, to secure those protections.
In a statement to WFAA, Starbucks previously said the company believes a direct partnership between leadership and the stores is core to the experiences created in their stores. The company respects partners' right to have a choice on unions, the statement reads.
