Welcome to The Newsfeed.

I'm Venice Buhain and in for Paris Jackson.

It's been more than a year since Starbucks baristas in the Seattle based coffee company last met at the bargaining table, and more than four years since stores began unionizing.

Negotiations are set to resume again this month.

Both sides have filed unfair labor practice charges against each other, with many cases decided in the Union's favor on track.

When do we want it?

Now.

Why do we want a contract?

Starbucks has consistently said the company is committed to bargaining in good faith for reasonable contract that works for everyone.

Starbucks Workers United says it's ready to finalize a contract and plans to return to negotiations with a lower wage proposal.

We wanted to put forth something that the company that we thought was reasonable, and this $17 wage is going to help hundreds bring hundreds of baristas up from $15,.25, $16 an hour, up to $17 an hour, which would be life changing for so many people.

During the pandemic, Starbucks workers unionize during a wave of organizing that saw companies like Amazon, REI, Trader Joe's and other workplaces previously thought to be beyond the reach of the labor movement.

What that organizing wave showed was that any almost any company in the United States, no matter how progressive its reputation, will do almost anything lawful or unlawful in order to crush organizing attempts.

John Logan, who has been tracking this unionization wave, said the company's progressive values only go so far.

They stop when workers want to form a union.

They would actually use the values of the company to say, this is why we don't need a union, because we're already one of the good guys.

We do all of these things, you know, we're pro-LGBTQ rights, we're pro-environment, we're pro-Black Lives Matter.

We support all of these things already.

We do not need anyone coming in.

That might actually undermine that culture.

Companies like Starbucks and REI have historically had worker friendly reputations with higher wages and more health care benefits than other similar workplaces.

In order to access those benefits.

You need to have proper scheduling and proper staffing and livable wages.

And we don't have those things right now.

And so we need Starbucks to finalize this contract so that it can actually be the progressive company that they claim that they are.

These benefits should be accessible for everybody, just not just for some.

According to the union, the two sides are close to finishing.

Still, on the table are starting wages, minimum staffing numbers and a guarantee that the company offers hours to current workers before hiring new people.

Starbucks did not return our request for comment.

In its latest update to workers about union negotiations, the company says on average, hourly employees earn more than $30 in pay and benefits per hour.

When bargaining started in 2024.

The company committed to come to an agreement that year.

Over the last year, Starbucks has closed hundreds of stores around North America, including more than 30 Washington locations.

The most recent wave came in March, when the company announced the closure of five stores in Seattle, four of which are unionized, laying off 69 workers.

In response, baristas held a one day work stoppage at these locations.

Don't get it.

Shut it down.

Adele Wheeldon is one of those baristas losing her job and health care benefits.

Accessing mental health and accessing dental health.

Is really hard to get.

And, I kind of have just been fighting to try to get a transfer so hard and going to every store I can to ask, but I haven't stopped to feel about what it would be like to lose my health insurance because it's terrifying.

Next week, we'll be covering stories on the environment and climate in our region.

Thank you for watching The Newsfeed.