Seattle Starbucks workers win union election

1101 Madison is now the 34th unionized location in Washington, as the fight for a national first contract continues

SEATTLE, WA (February 27, 2025) — The wave of Starbucks worker victories continued this week as workers at the 1101 Madison location voted to join Starbucks Workers United. It’s now the 24th unionized Starbucks in the Seattle area, and one of more than 540 unionized locations nationwide. Across the U.S., the union represents more than 11,000 baristas who have joined together to win workplace protections on core issues like living wages, respect, racial and gender equity, and fair scheduling.

In the past year alone, Starbucks Workers United baristas have organized over 140 stores, a powerful demonstration of peer-to-peer organizing. This win follows dozens of organizing victories in recent months including at the SoDo Reserve located within Starbucks’ Seattle headquarters. 

Baristas at the 1101 Madison location in Seattle. Photo: SBWU

“This experience has truly taught me the power that workers hold. I’m so proud of my fellow partners for banding together and demanding the respect we deserve,” said Saul Abolafya, a barista.

This organizing victory follows one of the largest strikes in Starbucks history as 5,000 baristas shut down over 300 stores across the country on Christmas Eve to call out the company’s unfair labor practices.

Starbucks and Workers United are set to return to bargaining table soon to hammer out a foundational contract framework with a mediator. Bargaining resumes after several weeks in which union Starbucks partners steadily escalated their national campaign, demanding the coffee giant finalize a fair framework that invests in baristas.

In January, Workers United filed more than 90 unfair labor practice charges after the company backtracked on the path forward it agreed to over the future of organizing and collective bargaining. 

You can support the workers by signing their No Contract, No Coffee pledge.