PLAINFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — A committee of hourly workers at two Starbucks locations in Plainfield are looking to form a union.

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Baristas and shift supervisors from stores at the Plainfield Commons shopping center and off of State Route 267 are organizing with the Workers United Labor Union. They filed with the National Labor Relations Board for a union election in November.

The Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, has seen growth both in the state and across the country.

According to officials with the union, they represent nearly 400 Starbucks shops nationwide. Since the summer of 2022, Starbucks stores in Clarksville, Valparaiso, and Bloomington have all voted to unionize.

If successful, the two Plainfield locations would be among the first to organize in the Indianapolis metro area.

Ryan Smith is a shift supervisor at the location off of S.R. 267. He has been with Starbucks for about 15 years, spending most of that time on the West Coast. He moved to the area about a year ago and says leaving the company just wasn’t an option.

“I wanted to stay in and make a difference,” Smith said. “I’ve invested a lot of time in the company. I didn’t want to leave, I felt like that was worth fighting for.”

Nationally, Workers United is pushing for a $20-an-hour starting pay. Meanwhile, Starbucks reports a national average wage of $17.50 per hour.

Locally, Alexia Edwards was making $12 an hour when she started about a year and a half ago.

She and Smith are joining fellow employees at the other Plainfield store to lobby for more than pay. They say they are looking for better working conditions, like having fully staffed shifts and consistent hours.

“The more that our store gets busy, there are not things to combat that,” Edwards said. “That’s the main thing I’ve noticed.”

However, not all employees across the region are on board with the movement.

Erin Carter is a part-time shift supervisor for another location in Indianapolis, currently not looking to form a union.  She believes those who are on board are ultimately looking for better management.

“I do not want a group of individuals speaking on my behalf, and negotiating on my behalf,” Carter said. “If you were led in a store that maintains the culture of Starbucks, I don’t think that you’re seeking to unionize.”

Organized labor nationwide has criticized Starbucks for retaliating against employees and stores that engage in union activity.

With that in mind, Smith says he and the others aren’t afraid.

“We’re the ones that are working the floor,” Smith said. “We’re the ones that are making these businesses go and grow the customer base. So I think that they need to listen to us more.”

In a statement to News 8, a Starbucks spokesperson says the company welcomes union elections.

“We respect our partners’ right to organize, freely associate, engage in lawful union activities, and bargain collectively without fear of reprisal or retaliation,” the spokesperson wrote. “Our focus remains on all partners and our commitment to continue to work together, side-by-side, to make Starbucks a company that works for everyone.”

Employees will vote on whether or not to unionize on January 5.