Warwick Starbucks is the first Rhode Island location to vote on unionizing; outcome unclear

WARWICK – It's not clear yet if Rhode Island has its first unionized Starbucks. 

The National Labor Relations Board counted ballots cast in the unionization election at the chain's Pace Boulevard location on Tuesday and found that nine were in favor of a union and eight were against. 

However, two unopened ballots were challenged, so the NLRB was unable to declare a result. The NLRB will now have to hold a hearing to determine whether either of those ballots, which have the potential to determine the outcome of the election, should be counted. 

"It's overwhelming and a little anxiety-inducing," said Jennifer Maynard, a shift supervisor and union supporter. "Obviously, when it's all that close, things are up in the air, and I'm not really sure how to feel." 

It wasn't immediately clear whether the ballots in question had been challenged by Starbucks or by union representatives. 

The store, which is located near Savers and Best Buy off Universal Boulevard, is the first and so far only Starbucks location in Rhode Island where workers have announced their intent to unionize. 

Starbucks stores across the country have become a hotbed of union organizing in recent months. In April, when workers at the Pace Boulevard store announced their intent to unionize, about 185 other locations had already done so. Two months later, the tally is closer to 290.

The NLRB has held elections at about 170 Starbucks locations nationwide, and workers in at least 150 of those stores have voted in favor of a union. 

"For context, there were ZERO unionized Starbucks stores six months ago," Starbucks Workers United wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. 

Locally, workers at Seven Stars Bakery locations in Providence announced their intent to unionize on Friday. 

Cassie Burke, a barista at the Starbucks on Pace Boulevard and one of the leaders of the union campaign, previously told The Providence Journal that employees at the store were "reasonably happy" with their working conditions. However, she said, they wanted more of a say in how their workplace is run — and the security that comes with a union.

Maynard, who has worked at the Pace Boulevard Starbucks for about six years, said on Tuesday that she believes all service employees need the benefits and protections of a union.

"We all just deserve a bigger piece of the pie and a seat at the table," she said.