- Matt Esnayra
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.