Employees at the Courthouse Starbucks have unionized

Union member Sam Dukore in front of the Starbucks at Courthouse Plaza (photo courtesy of Richard Bensinger)

Workers gathered in front of the Starbucks at Courthouse Plaza (photo courtesy of Richard Bensinger)

(Updated, 5:30 p.m.) Yesterday was an election day as well for employees at the Starbucks in Courthouse Plaza, who voted to become the second D.C.-area location of the coffee giant to unionize.

Workers at a local Starbucks won their election to form a union, as first reported by Washington Post reporter Lauren Kaori Gurley. The employees are organizing with and joining Starbucks Workers United.

BREAKING: @SBWorkersUnited workers just won their 260th union election 8-to-2.

All of these victories have occurred in less than a year.

The Arlington, VA store is the 2nd DC-area location to unionize.

— Lauren Kaori Gurley (@LaurenKGurley) November 8, 2022

Arlington Democrats congratulated employees at the Starbucks in Courthouse at 2200 Clarendon Blvd for winning their union election.

Congrats to the works at Courthouse Starbucks for winning their @SBWorkersUnited union election today!

Thanks to everyone who came out to grab a #UnionStrong cup of coffee. We must continue to support union workers for a strong America and strong economy https://t.co/E8iZk9LSVl

— Arlington Democrats (@arlingtondems) November 8, 2022

Samuel Dukore, a member of the union and a shift supervisor at the Courthouse Starbucks, told ARLnow that he and his colleagues unionized for better pay, more consistent hours, and uniformly enforced rules and regulations.

This marks the 260th Starbucks nationwide to unionize but only the second one in the D.C. area. The other unionized Starbucks is on P Street in the District, which just voted to form its union last month.

As for what’s next, Dukore he would like to see Starbucks come to the bargaining table to “negotiate in good faith” with the union for a contract.

Over the summer, employees at Union Kitchen in Ballston also voted to form a union joining others at Union Kitchen locations across the region. The National Labor Board determined that Union Kitchen management violated a number of labor laws and engaged in illegal union-busting tactics while workers sought to unionize, as DCist first reported earlier today.