Employees at Starbucks on S. Sherwood have Unionized

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Workers at the Starbucks on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard have unionized, according to the group representing thousands of the international coffee chain’s employees.

The Baton Rouge spot, located at 3888 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., is the first Starbucks in the city and third in Louisiana to have its workers unionize. Workers at a New Orleans location on Maple Street banded together in April 2022, while employees at the shop in the Pan American Life building on Poydras Street followed in May. An attempt to unionize a Lafayette location on Ambassador Caffery Parkway in September 2022 failed after a 10-10 tie; it needed majority support.

The Sherwood Forest workers voted 10-4 in favor of unionizing, according to a news release from Starbucks Workers United.

Officials at Starbucks’ corporate office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Baton Rouge vote.

Starbucks Workers United says more than 9,000 baristas at 380 stores nationwide have successfully unionized since December 2021. Thousands of Starbucks employees went on strike in November during an event called the “Red Cup Rebellion” to support the unionization effort and protest working conditions.

The union said it is asking for better wages, racial and gender equity, and fairer scheduling. It has also accused the chain’s executives of union busting and failing to bargain in good faith, though corporate leaders in December said they were willing to restart negotiations after months of no talks, according to the Associated Press.

Workers at the Sherwood Forest location echoed similar concerns, as well as frustration with management. They are hopeful their vote will convince other Baton Rouge stores to follow suit in short order.

Kirby Lanier, who has worked at the Sherwood Forest location for a year, said the effort in Baton Rouge started this summer after a friend who helped a Carbondale, Illinois location unionize put him in touch with national union leaders. The initiative took a major leap forward when the union vote took place Wednesday.

“It’s been a wild 24 hours,” Lanier said with a laugh.

Lanier said employees are protesting working conditions, particularly the firing of a store manager and shift leaders for unexplained reasons.

He said he spoke to workers at another Baton Rouge location in Perkins Rowe who had similar concerns about management and were excited for the Sherwood vote.

“People were very excited for us, people were very nervous for us,” he said.

Rebekah Northrop, a Sherwood Forest barista for the last four years, said the next step for workers is drafting a set of demands, which should start next week. After that, attorneys will help the workers with negotiations, possibly in the next month or so.

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