Of the more than 1,400 Starbucks stores in Canada, only a single location in Victoria, B.C. has formed a union. One former barista spoke to Canadaland about the working conditions that lead baristas to organize for better protections - and how the flurry of anti-union messaging from Starbucks HQ was still not enough to deter the workers. 

But companies across Canada and the U.S. have been employing these types of tactics for decades to prevent their workers from unionizing: including persistent messaging, hiring third-party crisis management firms, and even shuttering stores completely. 

Do these new unionized workers stand a chance? Cherise Seucharan reports. 

Featured in this episode: Izzy Adachi, former Starbucks worker; Pablo Guerra, organizer with United Steelworkers; Mitch Thompson, journalist; David J. Doorey, professor of labour law at York University

Further reading:
Only one Starbucks in Canada is currently unionized, and it’s in B.C. Why is Starbucks so afraid of unions?, Toronto Star
A ‘Gen U’ of young Starbucks baristas is powering a growing push to unionize, CNBC
LEAKED AUDIO: Amazon Union Buster Warns Workers ‘Things Could Become Worse’, Vice News
Walmart has everything - except unions,The Walrus 
Union-Bashing Is on the Menu at Tim Hortons, Mitchell Thompson, Jacobin

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