Starbucks’ workers in Miami Springs are first in South Florida to unionize
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO FIGHTING FOR A CONTRACT THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF ALL OUR CO-WORKERS.
Christian Miranda, union leader at the Miami Springs Starbucks
The Starbucks in Miami Springs has become the first South Florida store, and fourth statewide, in the national chain to have its workers form a union.
After a 10-3 vote Tuesday, Starbucks employees at the 52 Curtiss Parkway location joined Starbucks Workers United.
At least 60 Starbucks stores in the U.S. have approved unions, while employees have voted to reject union representation at eight other locations.
On April 22, workers at a Hialeah Starbucks, 583 W. 49th St., voted 14-12 against forming a union.
“We are looking forward to fighting for a contract that meets the needs of all our co-workers,” said Christian Miranda, union leader at the Miami Springs coffee shop.
Miranda, 19, took the reins of the movement to try to improve the conditions of his co-workers, who he said are “stressed and overworked despite the fact that we love our work. Because we love it, we are fighting to change things.”
His main goal is to raise baristas’ wages from $12 to $17 an hour.
There was no celebration after Tuesday’s results were final, Miranda said, out of respect for colleagues in Hialeah, where the unionizing bid failed last month.
The National Labor Relations Board conducted the Miami Springs’ employees union vote by mail rather than in person. Days before workers there started receiving ballots on April 13, employees and their allies demonstrated outside the shop, claiming they were being intimidated by the company.
On May 3, a shop in Tallahassee became the first union Starbucks store in Florida after a 16-1 vote.