Statement: Starbucks Canada reaches a collective bargaining agreement with United Steelworkers union for Douglas Street drive-thru location
Starbucks has always believed in being a different kind of company – guided by Our Mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit. For nearly 50 years, Starbucks has been putting partner (employee) care at the centre of everything it does and has continued to invest in and share its success with partners.
In June 2021, we reached a collective agreement with the United Steelworker’s Union (USW) representing employees at our Douglas Street location in Victoria, B.C., which includes some very small amendments to our Total Partner Care offerings. Importantly, the union distorts the facts by taking credit for the wage increases implemented unilaterally by Starbucks Canada. Earlier this year, Starbucks Canada raised wages for all hourly partners by at least 5% as part of a planned nationwide wage increase – the most significant investment in retail hourly pay in Starbucks Canada’s history – and made a commitment to paying a premium above minimum wage across the country.
More accurately, after union dues and donations, some hourly employees in this store will earn only a few cents ($0.04 to $0.07) more per hour than other Starbucks partners in the province. For other partners, their take-home pay will actually be the same as what partners in other stores receive.
We want all partners to love working at Starbucks and believe that our work environment, coupled with our outstanding compensation and benefits, make unions unnecessary at Starbucks, and that the best way to create an exceptional experience for partners is through an open and direct working relationship.
