A Starbucks supervisor in San Diego has initiated a campaign to decertify the Starbucks Workers United union at his store, citing alleged exclusion from key decisions and the disruptive impact of a recent national strike. Joe Emmenegger, a shift supervisor at the unidentified store, stated he has collected signatures from approximately 64% of the 16 to 18 employees to trigger a vote on disbanding the union.
Emmenegger, who joined the already-unionized store in 2024, claims that supervisors like himself were not included in union discussions, despite being part of the bargaining unit. He stated he learned about his inclusion only after conducting his own research. "It was brought to my attention that people were told not to talk to myself, other people," Emmenegger told the California Post. "I never really understood why there was this kind of exclusion of the supervisor team."
The tipping point for Emmenegger, he said, was the Starbucks Workers United nationwide open-ended strike that began on November 13, 2025. He contends the decision to strike was made without input from him or other workers, leading to significant uncertainty for employees, especially with the holidays approaching. "All of our hours evaporated. Being a week-and-half before Christmas, we had co-workers who have families, have young children," Emmenegger said. "It was definitely a very stressful moment to figure out, ‘Okay I may not be having a job.'"
Emmenegger emphasized that he is not against unions or the right to strike when applied correctly. His petition to remove the union is currently pending before the National Labor Relations Board. He reported facing little opposition from his coworkers, though he claimed some labor activists referred to him and others as "scabs."
Emmenegger's effort is part of a new national coalition of restaurant, retail, and service workers launched by the Center for Union Facts. This group advocates for union transparency and accountability. The Center for Union Facts, a nonprofit organization, has highlighted accounts from workers in other states who reported similar issues with their unions.
Starbucks Workers United has been engaged in negotiations with Starbucks for a national contract framework since February 2024, employing strikes and protests to pressure the company. The union has also called for consumer boycotts of Starbucks.