Workers at a Starbucks location in Waterloo, Ont., have secured their first collective agreement with the company following an arbitration decision, according to the United Steelworkers (USW) union.
The agreement, reached after what USW District 6 Director Kevon Stewart described as “largely co-operative” bargaining, was facilitated by a provincial arbitration board ruling. The board’s decision supports the continuation of a shift-borrowing practice that allows employees to work at different Starbucks locations, a flexibility valued by workers but previously at risk of being discontinued under the new contract, according to USW.
The Waterloo store, one of five Ontario Starbucks locations represented by the USW, is the first to finalize a collective agreement. Starbucks employees at this location voted to join the USW in May 2023. The ruling sets a precedent for similar negotiations at other Starbucks locations in the province, including those in Ajax, Kitchener, and Toronto, the USW said in a press release.
Stewart described the ruling as “a huge win and a positive outcome for our members at Starbucks,” highlighting the union’s successful defence of employee scheduling flexibility. He emphasized that the USW is committed to securing similar agreements at other locations, where negotiations are ongoing.
In addition to the five stores in Ontario, the USW represents workers at Starbucks locations in Western Canada. The union sees this recent arbitration decision as a catalyst for further unionization efforts in the coffee industry.
“We look forward to continuing a productive relationship with Starbucks as we work towards fair contracts for workers,” Stewart said. He also encouraged other Starbucks employees to consider union membership, stating that “every Starbucks worker deserves a voice and the protection that comes with union membership.”
The United Steelworkers, which represents 225,000 members across Canada, is one of the largest private-sector unions in North America, with over 850,000 members.