Starbucks says it will negotiate in good faith with first unionized store

Executive vice president said company respects legal process even though Starbucks did not favor unionization

Starbucks says it will negotiate in good faith with workers at the first store to unionize in the company's 50-year history. 

In a letter sent to all U.S. employees, Rossann Williams, an executive vice president, said Starbucks never favored unionization and still prefers to speak directly to employees, but respects the legal process and wants to work with those in Buffalo, New York, who voted in favor of union representation. 

Starbucks employee Brian Murray hugs fellow employee Casey Moore as votes are read during a viewing party for their union election on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021, in Buffalo, New York.

Starbucks employee Brian Murray hugs fellow employee Casey Moore as votes are read during a viewing party for their union election on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021, in Buffalo, New York. Starbucks workers have voted to unionize over the company’s objections (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex / AP Newsroom)

STARBUCKS WORKERS AT TWO BOSTON LOCATIONS FILE FOR UNION ELECTIONS 

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"If we sometimes fall short, we want to continue to hear from you," Williams wrote to employees. "That way we can work together to make the improvements necessary to provide you the very best partner experience we can." 

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Pro-union pins sit on a table during a watch party for Starbucks' employees union election, Dec. 9, 2021, in Buffalo, New York.

Pro-union pins sit on a table during a watch party for Starbucks' employees union election, Dec. 9, 2021, in Buffalo, New York. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex, File / AP Newsroom)

Workers at a store in Buffalo voted to unionize two weeks ago, a first for any Starbucks location. A second store rejected unionization, but the union said it might challenge that result because it wasn’t confident all of the eligible votes had been counted. The results of a third store could not be determined because both sides challenged seven separate votes.