Starbucks workers vote to unionize in Lakewood & Long Beach stores

A group of employees at two Starbucks locations, one in Long Beach and another in Lakewood, voted to unionize on Friday, becoming the first in Southern California.

I don’t need you to tell me how good my coffee is:

Twenty-four Starbucks employees at the Lakewood store, located on Candlewood and Lakewood Boulevard, voted overwhelmingly in favor of joining the union, with one dissenting vote.

• All thirteen workers at the Starbucks located at Redondo and 7th Street voted to unionize.

• The stores join two other Starbucks locations in Santa Cruz, entering Workers United.

Why it matters:

The move is part of a new era of unionization efforts among the working class in various industries, from Amazon to Starbucks.

• The coffee giant has been accused of running union-busting campaigns in an attempt to defuse unionization efforts, according to Slate.

Keep this in mind:

Last month Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz clashed with a barista inside the Long Beach Airport, where he reportedly said to the worker: “If you hate Starbucks so much, why don’t you go somewhere else?" per the NY Post.

Starbucks employee thanks CEO Howard Schultz: " You inspire us to unionize"