The face of organized labor has undergone a seismic shift in recent years, with employees at companies like Trader Joe’s, Apple, and Starbucks coming together to fight for higher wages, better benefits, and a total overhauling of how their worth is measured and valued by the places that employ them. Morgan Leavy, 24, and Dani, 37 (who chose to withhold their last name), are proud to take part in that fight; they’re both employees at the first Starbucks in Texas to unionize.
Vogue caught up with Morgan and Dani in Austin to talk about unionizing their Starbucks location, what they love (and don’t love) about organizing work, how they find time to care for themselves amid a union fight that’s grown increasingly contentious in recent months, and more. Read the full interview below.
Vogue: How long have each of you been at Starbucks?
Morgan Leavy: I first started at Starbucks in July of 2020; I worked at a drive-thru store in Colorado for six months, and then I came back in the fall of 2021.
Dani: Fifteen years! It’s been a long time.
How did you get involved with the Starbucks union drive?
M.L.: Well, conversations started around the time that Buffalo organized. We had a coworker who was initiating a lot of conversations with people about the union process, which was helpful, because most of us had never been part of a union and didn’t know much about it.
What motivated you to take part?
D: For me, it was about taking my power back and having a say in how I’m treated by my employer.
M.L.: Yeah, and once Buffalo started the movement, there was something to build on. We had a benefits meeting some time in February, which was supposed to be about all the great things Starbucks has to offer, and I found out then that I wouldn’t be able to get my health care until next year. A few of us started talking more after that meeting happened; it was a real kickstarter.
How much work goes into your union organizing, and how do you build it into your schedules?
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