Aberdeen Starbucks seeks to unionize

ABERDEEN, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - A Starbucks in Aberdeen has filed a petition to become the first unionized Starbucks store in South Dakota.

The 7th Ave. Starbucks in Aberdeen filed the petition with the National Labor Relations Board.

“I’m just a college kid, and Starbucks was just supposed to be a part-time job, but I fell in love with it — the people, the community, the job itself — and keeping coffee and conversation flowing no matter how busy we got,” said Demi Waldner, a barista at the Aberdeen store. “As much as I loved the job, however, I’ve watched over the past two years as we’ve worked skeleton crews with no reward but the same thing the next day, and the next, and the next. I love the fast-paced environment and thrive in it, but I can’t run my floor when I’m also doing the work of two people at once. We deserve better than this, and we’re prepared to fight to get it.”

According to Dakota Broadcasting News, over 300 Starbucks locations in 38 states and the District of Columbia have successfully unionized.

Information is provided by Dakota Broadcasting News.

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