Starbucks workers in Tallahassee win union election;

A Tallahassee Starbucks location has become the first in the state to unionize after workers secured a victory in a 16-to-1 vote Tuesday afternoon. 

The win comes more than three months after the location, at 2264-1 N. Monroe St., announced its plan to organize and became the catalyst for two other capital city locations to follow suit. 

“I can’t believe this is real,” said Calum Johnson, a 25-year-old barista and union committee member who was one of under a dozen baristas who watched the ballot count from a bar in downtown Tallahassee. “Words cannot describe how proud I am of our partners.”

Now that the count is official, a lengthy process of forming a bargaining committee and negotiating a contract, which could take months and, in some cases years, will begin.

A request for comment from the mega-coffee retailer is pending. 

Previous coverage:Tallahassee Starbucks becomes first location in Florida to organize, file for union election

However, many workers who attended the viewing party are not discouraged.

Workers say they’ll help other Starbucks locations unionize

Some said they will assist the other locations in their fight to unionize, which in Tallahassee includes two other locations that have already filed for National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) representation on Feb. 16, according to the NLRB website.

Before their votes were counted one by one by an NLRB representative over Zoom, workers were anxious that their fight for the election may be delayed.

The ballots were mailed to employees’ home addresses mid-April and were to be mailed back for Tuesday’s count. Out of the 35 eligible voters, only 17 ballots were returned. 

With each “yes” the small crowd erupted into cheers. The loudest cheer came after the ninth “yes” was read aloud, as that was the minimum number of votes in favor of the union required to win.