BOSTON — The coffee revolution is apparently underway — and it's not about taste.

Baristas at the Brighton Soldiers Field Starbucks have voted unanimously to unionize, becoming the 18th Starbucks in the Boston area to do so. Their reason? The usual suspects: pay, scheduling, and, yes — “racial and gender equity.”

In a unanimous 9–0 vote, workers joined Starbucks Workers United, the group fueling a national barista uprising that has spread to over 600 stores and unionized more than 12,000 employees since 2024.

The union, in its press release, didn’t hold back. Workers are demanding “living wages,” “workplace respect,” “fair scheduling,” and what they call “racial and gender equity” — all while working part-time jobs steaming milk and running cold brews.

This latest union push comes just weeks after other Boston-area stores in Charlestown and Harvard Square joined the movement.

To the average caffeine-addled customer, it may seem like overkill. But to organizers, it’s the next front in a war for justice… at the coffee counter.

Equity in the Espresso Bar

The demands go far beyond paychecks. Union messaging has focused heavily on social justice buzzwords — citing systemic inequities in how hours are assigned, how promotions are offered, and even how baristas are treated during shifts.

Baristas have accused Starbucks of failing to live up to its own progressive branding. Some have staged protests and “sip-ins.” Others have filed unfair labor practice charges — over 100 in total — alleging everything from retaliation to corporate ghosting at the bargaining table.

One Brighton barista, Kayla Kovacs, told the press: “Getting ‘Back to Starbucks’ means putting people who brew the coffee first.”

Others online wondered whether this was about rights — or just iced coffee entitlement.

From Mocha to Marx?

Starbucks has spent years marketing itself as America’s most progressive coffee chain. Rainbow flags, “anti-racism” training, gender-inclusive bathrooms — you name it. But that same carefully crafted image is now being used against it.

The company is being dragged into labor disputes by its own workers, many of whom are now treating the frappuccino station as a frontline for social transformation.

In a year where customers are already paying $6.75 for an oat milk latte, it's unclear whether they'll be thrilled to hear that their barista wants hazard pay and equity language in the handbook.

Bottom Line

What started as a coffee job is now a political stage. With 18 stores unionized in Boston and more likely on the way, the baristas aren’t just foaming milk — they’re demanding power.

And next time you order a venti, don’t be surprised if it comes with a lecture on gender equity and a higer price tag.