Starbucks Union Established: "Labor-Management Relations Must Be Reestablished"

Operated as a Chapter of the KCTU Chemical Fiber & Food Industry Union

Company: "We Will Communicate in Accordance with Relevant Laws"

Starbucks Korea employees have established a labor union.

According to labor industry sources on the 16th, the Starbucks Chapter of the National Chemical Fiber & Food Industry Workers’ Union (Chemical Fiber & Food Industry Union), which is affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), has officially declared its founding.

In a declaration posted on its official website, the chapter stated, "We have formed a labor union to protect our rights as workers and create a Starbucks where we can work with sincerity and pride," and proclaimed, "The Starbucks Chapter of the KCTU Chemical Fiber & Food Industry Union has been established."

The union claimed that it has continuously demanded improvements in working conditions, but practical solutions have not been achieved as the company has managed communication mainly through the 'Sympathy Meeting.' The Sympathy Meeting is an internal consultative body operated by Starbucks Korea to gather employees' opinions.

The chapter pointed out, "The solutions and promises made during the Sympathy Meeting were quickly forgotten, and the company ignored partners’ demands, instead unilaterally introducing even more excessive events and operational policies than before." It further emphasized, "Now, through the labor union, we must demand our rights confidently and reestablish labor-management relations on equal terms."

The union stated, "We will address issues at the workplace—such as shrinking staffing during each shift, increasing promotions, rising labor intensity, barely sufficient wages for living, and difficulties in filing industrial accident claims—through one unified voice as a union," adding, "We will become an organization that prioritizes the voices of Starbucks partners."

Regarding the establishment of the union, a Starbucks Korea official commented, "We will communicate with the union in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.