The downtown Ann Arbor Starbucks location that received national attention over a unionizing effort has announced it is closing. After nearly two decades in business, October 28th will be the last day for the store at the corner of Liberty and Main Street.
A spokesperson for the national coffee chain cites operational and performance challenges. They told WEMU that the recent unionizing efforts were not a factor in the decision.
Hannah Whitbeck is a union organizer with Starbucks United. She was the first Starbucks worker in the state to be reinstated after a wrongful termination case. Whitbeck said, after she gives birth to her first child in a few weeks, she will decide if she will transfer to a new location.
“I’m there mostly for the people that I got to know—the regulars, the environment. I did love the job itself too, but I don’t think it would be the same if I worked at a different store.”
Whitbeck says the union is planning to meet with corporate representatives to discuss the plans for the store’s 14 employees. She is hopeful that the union can convince them to re-open the store.
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