Employees at Starbucks at Waterville Commons voted 9-1 on Wednesday night to join Starbucks Workers United, which represents 520 Starbucks nationwide. Amy Calder/Morning Sentinel file
WATERVILLE — Employees at Starbucks at Waterville Commons are set to unionize after baristas voted 9-1 on Wednesday night to join Starbucks Workers United.
Staff members from the coffeehouse filed a petition to unionize in early December to gain workplace protections on several issues, including respect, living wages, racial and gender equality and fair scheduling, according to an announcement Thursday from Starbucks Workers United.
“I’m very excited and honored that our store is finally joining the union, becoming part of the over 500 incredible unionized stores across the country. As workers, we are stronger and more united than ever,” Evelyn Fennell, a shift supervisor, said in the announcement.
The Starbucks at 2 Waterville Commons Drive is the third Starbucks in Maine to unionize, and one of 520 Starbucks across 45 states and the District of Columbia to do so.
Starbucks in Biddeford was the first in Maine to unionize, in 2022.
In October 2022, workers at a Starbucks on Middle Street in the Old Port area of Portland voted to unionize, but the company shut down the store a month later, saying the closure was attributable to renovations being made at the building.
The National Labor Relations Board accused Starbucks of closing the Old Port location and several others across the country as a strategy to get workers to stop unionizing.
The vote by baristas at the Waterville Starbucks follows successful unionization efforts for Starbucks Workers United in California, Utah, Missouri and Louisiana, according to the announcement.
“I’m so happy to have had the chance to work with my partners to build a better future! Moving forward, I hope we can all encourage everyone to raise their voice and fight for what’s right,” Destiny Bragdon, a barista at the Waterville Starbucks, said in the announcement.
Starbucks at Waterville Commons closed for repairs and renovations in October, and it remained unclear Thursday when it is to reopen.
Waterville’s code enforcement officials and Starbucks union representatives did not return calls Thursday seeking more information.
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