Starbucks Korea Sees First Labor Union Established as Employees Demand Change

The first labor union has been established at Starbucks Korea.

Experts suggest this could lead to further organization of industry-wide unions in sectors facing similar working environment issues across nationwide store operations.

The Korean Chemical, Textile & Food Workers' Union (KCTU-FCFTU), an industrial union affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), has officially announced the establishment of its Starbucks branch.

The branch has launched a dedicated website and has begun accepting members.

In its founding declaration, the branch stated, "We are establishing this labor union to protect our rights as workers and to create a Starbucks where we can work with sincerity and pride," adding, "We hereby proclaim the establishment of the Starbucks branch of the KCTU-FCFTU."

The union argued that while employees have previously demanded improvements to their working conditions through truck protests and wreath demonstrations, no substantive solutions have been achieved.

They stated that it is no longer possible to resolve issues through the Gonggamhoe (an internal communication body), which lacks the legal authority for collective bargaining and has served as the primary channel for communication with the company until now.

The branch stated, "The company has ignored the demands of its partners and instead unilaterally implemented excessive promotional events and operational policies," adding, "Now, we must confidently demand our rights through the labor union and re-establish a balanced labor-management relationship."

The union explained that under the three basic labor rights guaranteed by the Constitution, it can demand collective bargaining from the company. It further noted that membership is open to all workers, including store partners, support center staff, and team-level employees.

Upon its launch, the Starbucks branch presented several key demands, including the establishment of a fair wage system, 100% payment for overtime work, improvement of a wage structure that remains at the minimum wage level, and the creation of a rational pay step and promotion system.

Other core demands include guaranteeing minimum staffing levels per store, advance notice of work schedules, predictable scheduling, a ban on unilateral changes to working conditions, and the establishment of a communication system that reflects feedback from the field.

The union stated, "We will improve on-site issues such as decreasing staffing levels during shifts, increasing promotional events, rising labor intensity, wages that are barely enough to make a living, and difficulties in filing for industrial accidents with a single, unified voice through the union," adding, "We will become an organization that prioritizes the voices of Starbucks partners."

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Seo Byeong-uk | Graphics by Lee Soo-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.