Grant Creek Starbucks second Missoula store seeking to unionize

Darek Joseph

(KPAX) Another Missoula Starbucks has sent a petition to unionize to the company’s CEO Laxman Narasimhan.

The Starbucks on Grant Creek Road is the second store in Missoula to petition to unionize after the store on Brooks Street successfully petitioned and voted to unionize their store.

The petition demands higher wages, guaranteed hours, and a seat at the table when decisions are made about the store or its employees.

Jaret Kaldec, one of the organizers of this store’s union committee, says since they sent the petition Starbucks has been increasing the enforcement of certain policies in what he believes is an attempt to union bust.

“It really is frustrating to see that these things are being cracked down on now instead of earlier and we can definitely tell it is retaliation between… from upper management and currently right now our organizing work committee is working with Starbucks Workers United Lawyers to figure out what the best way to go about this is and also that there’s a chance that we will be going through the process of filing an unfair labor practice.”

MTN News reached out to Starbucks and spoke with a representative who said the accusations of union busting are meritless.

The Gant Creek Starbucks hopes to hold a union election sometime in mid-August.