Triangle Starbucks becomes coffeehouse chain’s seventh store in NC to unionize
Workers at the Starbucks in downtown Chapel Hill voted Monday to become the coffeehouse chain’s seventh store in North Carolina to unionize.
The vote tally was 14-1 in favor. Twenty two workers at the East Franklin Street store were eligible to vote.
The workers will now be represented by Workers United. It represents over 600 of Starbucks’ 17,164 locations across the United States.
Workers at the store held a short work stoppage on June 16 to read a letter to Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol. The letter detailed issues with unpredictable hours, reduced raises and safety concerns — as of June 20, police had been called to the store 112 times in the past 12 months, according to the town of Chapel Hill.
A Starbucks spokesperson said on June 17 that it respects the right of workers to unionize. The spokesperson said it works to create schedules that balance employee availability with the staffing needs of individual stores.
On June 16, a Starbucks in Fayetteville voted 12-0 to unionize, making it the sixth store in North Carolina to do so.
This story was originally published June 30, 2025 at 6:28 PM.
.jpg)