Starbucks Employees , Consider Unionizing.<br />Starbucks Employees , Consider Unionizing.<br />NPR News reports Starbucks <br />employees in Upstate New York are considering forming a union.<br />Unionized employees would be a <br />first for any of the multinational coffee <br />chain's franchises in the United States.<br />So far, Starbucks has staved off <br />employees' efforts to unionize in <br />New York City and Philadelphia.<br />So far, Starbucks has staved off <br />employees' efforts to unionize in <br />New York City and Philadelphia.<br />Though unionization had long felt <br />unrealistic to many Starbucks employees in <br />Upstate New York, the COVID-19 pandemic<br />appears to have altered expectations.<br />With the pandemic, [and] all of the labor shortages across the nation, it was finally the perfect storm, where for once we weren't disposable as food service employees anymore. , Lexi Rizzo, Starbucks employee, via NPR News.<br />With the pandemic, [and] all of the labor shortages across the nation, it was finally the perfect storm, where for once we weren't disposable as food service employees anymore. , Lexi Rizzo, Starbucks employee, via NPR News.<br />The Buffalo-area employees face difficult odds, <br />as food service stands among the least-unionized sectors of the United States economy.<br />Starbucks operates 8,953 <br />locations in the United States.<br />Starbucks operates 8,953 <br />locations in the United States.<br />Labor experts say success in the Buffalo area could open the door to more Starbucks workers in America lobbying for unionization.<br />Labor experts say success in the Buffalo area could open the door to more Starbucks workers in America lobbying for unionization.<br />It would be a huge win for workers if even one of the Starbucks stores in Buffalo succeeds in organizing. , Rebecca Givan, professor of labor studies at Rutgers University, via NPR News .<br />It would be a huge win for workers if even one of the Starbucks stores in Buffalo succeeds in organizing. , Rebecca Givan, professor of labor studies at Rutgers University, via NPR News .<br />We will likely see many more <br />organizing drives. Not all of them <br />will be successful, but workers will <br />start to see that there is a path and <br />that they can succeed. , Rebecca Givan, professor of labor studies at Rutgers University, via NPR News .<br />We will likely see many more <br />organizing drives. Not all of them <br />will be successful, but workers will <br />start to see that there is a path and <br />that they can succeed. , Rebecca Givan, professor of labor studies at Rutgers University, via NPR News