It was a nail-biter in Edina, where baristas at the Starbucks in the 50th and France retail district voted 9-6 on Tuesday to unionize with Starbucks Workers United. The narrow victory makes the shop the latest Minnesota store to join the national organizing drive, extending a yearslong campaign that started in the Twin Cities in 2022 and has since spread to suburbs and outstate communities.
According to the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, the 50th & France location was certified as the 17th Starbucks in Minnesota to unionize after the 9-6 tally. The count was confirmed by the union and local organizers, who marked the close result with a low-key celebration.
What Workers Are Demanding
"I'm so proud of our team," shift supervisor Kaye-Lani Story said in a statement, as reported by the Star Tribune. Organizers say they plan to push Starbucks for better staffing and more predictable schedules so baristas can actually access fringe benefits, along with higher hourly pay and action on what the union describes as hundreds of alleged unfair labor practice complaints.
Company Pay Changes And What They Mean
Starbucks has recently rolled out a bundle of companywide pay and perk changes, including expanded tipping, a switch to weekly paychecks and a quarterly performance-bonus program that can pay up to $300 every three months, or as much as $1,200 a year, at qualifying stores, Forbes reported. Company leaders say the package could boost take-home pay for many front-line workers. The union, however, has criticized such bonuses as unreliable compared with straightforward increases to base wages.
What Comes Next For The Edina Crew
With the votes now counted, the Edina baristas will be represented by Starbucks Workers United and are expected to seek contract talks with company negotiators, according to the union's announcement and coverage by the Star Tribune. Union officials also note that more than 700 Starbucks stores nationwide have organized under the same campaign.
The 50th and France district is one of Edina's busiest shopping corridors, and organizers argue that wins in high-profile suburban locations like this could eventually influence bargaining leverage at similar Twin Cities outlets. For customers, managers and workers in Edina, though, the immediate change is mostly procedural: the store stays open while the newly formed bargaining unit starts gearing up for formal negotiations.
