Grace Easterby News Today

Organizers say workers at two locations in Edgewater have affiliated with Workers United, part of the Service Employees International Union, in an ongoing national campaign.

Workers at two Starbucks locations in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood voted Wednesday to join a union, the first in the city to do so in a national campaign targeting the coffee chain, labor organizers said.

Starbucks workers have cited better pay and benefits and more say in scheduling as being among their priorities.

The votes were due the day after interim Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said employees who joined a union or were seeking to do so would not be able to access new pay benefits announced this week.

Costs are set to grow higher in the coming months as Starbucks introduces new pay raises and other benefits to improve its employee experience — and head off a growing unionization movement.

Starbucks employees in Cary voted 17-4 and employees in Peoria voted 9-2 to unionize.

Employees have filed petitions with the National Labor Relations Board seeking a union election, part of a national organizing effort with the Service Employees International Union.