Lynbrook Starbucks votes 14-8 to unionize, joins four other local stores

Lynbrook Starbucks workers on Friday voted to become the fifth Long Island location of the coffee giant to unionize.

Workers at the store, at 839 Sunrise Hwy., voted 14-8 in favor of joining the Workers United New York New Jersey Regional Board, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union. The Lynbrook workers filed union cards seeking a vote in early January.

Organizers at the store had previously said that safety protocols, unkept promises to promote workers, and termination threats from management to workers who raised concerns were all factors that created the union push.

“I’m grateful for this push to unionize because I feel like it’s going to give us a voice and protect us from being treated unjustly,” Ana Martinez, 20, a barista at the store and Valley Stream resident said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Starbucks said the company believes it “can achieve more together by working side-by-side with our partners,” and that a strong majority of its employees prefer the existing direct employment relationship.

“At those stores where our partners have chosen to petition for a union representation election, our focus is to ensure that they can trust the process is fair and their voice is heard,” the spokesperson said in an email. "We hope that all parties will respect our right to share factual information and our perspective.”

Starbucks said the company looks "forward to meeting Workers United in person to begin the single-store collective bargaining process," though no stores have reached a contract agreement since the first stores voted for unions at the end of 2021.

Workers at stores in Massapequa, Westbury, Farmingville and Wantagh voted to unionize last year. Workers at a Great Neck location narrowly voted against.

Workers United has alleged that management engaged in unfair labor practices there and has contested the election’s outcome. In December, the National Labor Relations Board filed a federal lawsuit against Starbucks and the Great Neck location.

The suit alleged that initial unanimous support for unionization among workers led management to threaten disciplinary action, resulting in some workers voting against a union in fear of losing their jobs or having benefits cut.

More than 280 Starbucks stores in 37 states have voted to unionize, with 68 locations voting against. The chain has around 9,000 corporate-owned stores across the country.

There are 100 Starbucks locations on Long Island, not including those located inside Target or Barnes & Noble stores, according to Nassau and Suffolk health department records.