Workers at fourth Minnesota Starbucks store seek to form union

Workers at a fourth Minnesota Starbucks store are seeking to form a union.

What's new: A group of hourly employees at a South Minneapolis location at the intersection of Lyndale Ave. and 54th Street announced Tuesday they have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to hold a union representation election.

The big picture: The local efforts are part of a broader push to unionize baristas, known as "partners" in Starbucks' parlance, at the popular coffee chain.

• Workers at a store in Buffalo, New York, became the first in the nation to form a union late last year. A Seattle location followed suit this month.

What they're saying: Organizers with the SEIU affiliate Workers United released a statement from workers Tuesday, saying they're seeking a bigger voice and more consistent representation because managers "lack the ability or the will to meet the needs of partners."

The other side: A Starbucks spokesperson tells Axios via email that the company is "listening and learning" from its workers but that its "belief is that we are better together as partners, without a union between us, and that conviction has not changed."

What's next: The first two Minnesota stores to petition for union representation, located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, are set to hold votes on the question in April.

• Results of those elections should be released in late April and early May.