On Saturday Septemper 20th, the IELC was proud to support union Starbucks workers in Riverside.

At a newly unionized store on Van Buren & Arlington, workers held a “Sip-In,” where customers order under the name “Union Strong” and encourage workers to keep up their fight for a fair contract.

This was the second Sip-In of the year in the Inland Empire, the first taking place in San Bernardino.

Workers mentioned how they’re one of the busiest Starbucks locations in the area, but their paychecks don’t reflect that. Despite being busy, they often don’t have enough workers to meet this demand, leading to a stressful work environment. This along with unstable scheduling, arbitrary new rules, and a lack of respect in the workplace pushed them to form a union.

On a national level, these issues are similar across stores. Last February, Starbucks and Starbucks Workers United agreed to work on a contract for union stores. Starbucks has since been dragging their feet, and workers suffer the consequences.

As the union members look to more tactics that will force Starbucks to come to the table, let’s all continue showing our support.

If you’re ever in the area and need a coffee fix, make sure your coffee is Union made. Stop by Van Buren & Arlington to show these workers you have their back.