Posted on 11/16/2022 9:13:41 AM PST by Steven Scharf
Starbucks in Portland’s Old Port to close, a month after vote to form union
117 Comments
Workers at Starbucks in Portland’s Old Port vote to form a union
(Excerpt) Read more at pressherald.com ...
This is a separate article on the closing.
Starbucks announces closure of Portland store that voted to unionize Ted Homer, WGME - 6h ago
Starbucks announces closure of Portland store that voted to unionize © Provided by WGME Portland
PORTLAND (WGME) – A Starbucks in busy downtown Portland, that just voted to unionize, is closing.
Starbucks officials say they are closing the location at the intersection of Exchange and Middle Streets, right in the heart of the Old Port.
Starbucks says it reviewed whether the store was thriving, the workers felt supported and whether customer needs were met.
Workers at that store just voted to unionize less than a month ago.
Starbucks says the store's last day will be December 23, two days before Christmas.
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree tweeted that this is blatant union busting, and she's demanding the National Labor Relations Board investigate right away.
I noticed the scafolding had gone up on Monday, but it appeared somebody was inside the Starbucks. I was not aware of this development so I did not investigate further.
Separate WGME article had these comments from our congresswoman:
"Starbucks told me personally that the chain 'remains committed to good faith negotiation and satisfying all collective bargaining obligations.' Now they are blatantly union-busting at one of the busiest stores in my district. Despicable. We need a full National Labor Relations Board investigation now!" Pingree said in a tweet.
And noted that Chipotle closed an Augusta store after they attempted to unionize.
Earlier this month, the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against Chipotle for the way it closed its store in Augusta. The complaint accused Chipotle of violating the National Labor Relations Act in July when it closed its Augusta store while employees were attempting to unionize.
The store in Augusta was the first Chipotle location in the country where workers were attempting to unionize.
They’re all woke, until it cost them money.
“Now they are blatantly union-busting at one of the busiest stores in my district.”
Well unions are good except when the management are Democrats.
MERRY CHRISTMAS! ENJOY YOUR NEW YEAR!, I MEAN NEW CAREER!..................
Sorry, unions, but you can’t force a business owner to stay in business against their will. Go buy a franchise if you want it open again.
> Congresswoman Chellie Pingree tweeted that this is blatant union busting, and she’s demanding the National Labor Relations Board investigate right away. <
Congresswoman Pingree should just buy the store, and pay every worker $50 an hour to start. That way everyone’s happy.
Well, maybe not everyone as customers would have to pay $20 for a small cup of coffee. That’s a minor detail, though.
Its a win-win-win
Yahoo News aggregated the story.
Starbucks in Portland’s Old Port to close, a month after vote to form union
Dennis Hoey, Portland Press Herald, Maine
Tue, November 15, 2022 at 6:49 PM·4 min read
Nov. 15—One month after workers at the Starbucks in Portland’s Old Port voted to form a union, the company informed those workers that the heavily trafficked store would be closed in one month.
The company said it is willing to consider transferring those workers to other stores in the greater Portland region.
The store, which is located in the heart of the Old Port district across from Tommy’s Park, will close on Dec. 23.
A Starbucks spokesperson said Tuesday night that the owner of the building where it leases space at 176 Middle St. said it had to vacate the premises while the building undergoes renovations. Attempts to identify and contact the owner of the building were unsuccessful Tuesday night.
In its statement, Starbucks said it was willing to negotiate with union members about the option of transferring to work at another store. There are at least 20 Starbucks shops in the greater Portland area including locations in Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, Falmouth, Windham, Biddeford, Freeport, Brunswick and Topsham, according to Starbucks’ store locater map.
The decision by Starbucks Coffee Company, which is based in Seattle, angered Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, who called on the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday to conduct an investigation into what she characterized as “blatant union-busting tactics.”
“Starbucks’ decision to close one of its busiest stores in Portland less than a month after workers formed a union appears to be a brazen violation of the National Labor Relations Act,” Pingree said in a written statement. “The widespread practice of large multibillion-dollar corporations punishing workers who collectively bargain is despicable. They must be held accountable.”
A spokesperson for Starbucks said in a statement issued Tuesday night that the decision to close the store at Middle and Exchange streets came after “careful consideration” and had nothing to do with workers voting to form a union.
“We routinely review the partner and customer experience in all our stores, to see if the store is thriving, partners are feeling supported, and that we are meeting customer needs,” Starbucks said. “Our goal is to ensure that every partner is supported in their individual situation, and we have immediate opportunities available in the market.
“We will bargain with the union in good faith to discuss the impact of this decision on the partners including the opportunities for transfers to other stores.”
Starbucks did not directly address the issue of an investigation by the NLRB, but said that claims of union busting are false.
In early October, Pingree joined 30 House colleagues in urging Starbucks to support and embrace workers, who legally voted to organize unions at their stores. Pingree said she received a response from Starbucks stating that the Fortune 500 company “remains committed to good faith negotiation and satisfying all collective bargaining obligations.”
“Today we can confirm that was just lip service,” Pingree said in her statement. “The NLRB must investigate and protect workers in Maine and across the country.”
Pingree met with workers from the Exchange Street store in Portland just days before they officially formed a union on Oct. 18, 2022.
The Maine AFL-CIO also slammed Starbucks’ decision to close the store calling the company’s actions “illegal union busting.”
I’m heartbroken. We just got word today that corporate @Starbucks is closing the Portland location on Middle and Exchange St that just voted in favor of unionization. They have given the partners 1 month to find new jobs. This is blatant union busting.
— SB Workers United Maine (@MaineSBWU) November 15, 2022
“Less than a month after workers at the Starbucks in the Old Port voted overwhelmingly to unionize, the company, in an act of illegal union busting, has announced it is closing the store,” Maine AFL-CIO President Cynthia Phinney said in a written statement Tuesday night. “This is the most egregious anti-union tactic and it is a blatant violation of the right of workers to unionize free from retaliation under the National Labor Relations Act.”
“Unfortunately, this is a pattern that is playing out across the country as these self-serving corporations seek to send a chilling message to workers seeking to organize,” Phinney continued. “We urge the NLRB to demand that Starbucks reverse its harmful decision and bargain with its employees.”
Starbucks workers reacted to the news.
“I’m heartbroken. We just got word today that corporate is closing the Portland location on Middle and Exchange Streets that just voted in favor of unionization,” Starbucks Workers United Maine said in a post on social media. “They have given the partners one month to find new jobs. This is blatant union busting.”
Attempts to reach Mandie Cantrell, the Starbucks barista who led the effort to unionize the Old Port coffee shop, were unsuccessful Tuesday evening.
The Starbucks in Biddeford became the first Maine location of the international chain of coffee shops to unionize. In July, workers at the Alfred Street store voted 9-3 to unionize as part of Starbucks Workers United. They joined a push by Starbucks workers across the country to organize and advocate for fair wages and better working conditions.
In July, Pingree called on the NLRB to investigate Chipotle for closing its Augusta store just hours after workers there filed to unionize.
(Starbucks in Portland’s Old Port to close, a month after vote to form union)
Another Democrat success story!
I think they can collect 26 weeks of unemployment now though.
She can afford it. Her husband is a hedge fund manager and worth billions I believe.
6 months! They can live in mom’s basement and play videogames! Life is good!.....................
She divorced Donald Sussman years ago after she no longer needed his money.
Unions make things more expensive. They also make things more complicated in many different ways.
Unions work to get wage increases, and for more/higher benefits. All of that makes things a lot more expensive for consumers. But, unions and union members don’t care, as long as they get theirs, and what they also get is the higher prices that they force on every company and stores and services. But, they don’t think about that. It’s sheer ignorance.
When it comes to inflation, a lot of that increase is due to higher wages, which democrats force on corporations, but, democrats only care about the credit they get from the higher wages they got for the unions/union members.
Gas prices and ever-increasing wages, are the two biggest culprits in the inflation crisis. But, who cares? Certainly, not democrats.
You know how good you could get at Call of Duty in 6 months!?!...
There’s another coffee shop right across the street, Bard Coffee. I wonder if the owners were assisting the Starbucks employees’ unionization efforts. Anyway, it’s certainly good news for them.
I missed that story; thank you for the update.
So Pingree is single right? :)
Her district office is at 2 Portland Fish Pier, Suite 304, Portland, ME 04101 which is about five or six blocks away. There is actually another Starbucks closer to her office on Commercial street so sghe will not be without her coffee.
Portland also boast a plethora of locally owned coffee shops including Coffee By Design, Arabica, Tandem Bakery and others that people line up to pay for over priced coffee. I prefer to go to Cumberland Farms and pour my own coffee and add the amount of sugar and cream that I want. All for $1.07 inc tax.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.