In a first, Starbucks workers agree to union in Buffalo, NY

By DEE-ANN DURBIN and CAROLYN THOMPSON
Associated Press

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Starbucks workers at a store in Buffalo, New York, voted to unionize on Thursday, a first for the 50-year-old coffee retailer in the U.S. and the latest sign that the labor movement is stirring after decades of decline. The National Labor Relations Board said Thursday that workers voted 19-8 in favor of a union at one of three locations in Buffalo. If the labor board certifies the vote, it would be the first Starbucks-owned store in the U.S. to unionize. A second store rejected the union in a vote of 12-8. The results of a third store could not be determined because of several challenged votes. Starbucks has actively fought unionization at its stores for decades.