Starbucks workers' unionization drive picked up steam February 14, when workers at the coffee mega-corporation's flagship Reserve Roastery filed for a union election.

When a majority of workers in a bargaining unit sign cards saying they want a union to represent them, they may file for an election under the supervision of the National Labor Relations Board. If the union wins the election, they are then recognized as the workers' agent in bargaining a contact.

The location, at 1124 Pike St., was the first Reserve Roastery in the world, and it features a special menu, tours, and other attractions not available at regular stores.

The Reserve Roastery became the fifth Starbucks in Seattle and the 81st in the country to demand recognition of a union.

The unionization drive is being organized by Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), thus pitting one of the country's largest unions against one of its largest corporations.

"I have worked for Starbucks for almost nine years, and four of those have been at the Seattle Roastery," Melissa Slabaugh, a worker at the Roastery, said in a statement.

"Over the years, I have slowly seen the partner experience take a back seat to the customer experience. Our health and safety have been put into jeopardy in a myriad of ways, and we're just burnt out."

A Starbucks store in Buffalo became the first unionized location in December, followed by a store in New York. The company responded with an aggressive anti-union campaign that has included mass firings of pro-union workers in Memphis, and "captive audience meetings" — in which employees are forced to listen to anti-union presentations — in many locations.

On February, 8, the Seattle City Council passed a resolution sponsored by Councilmember Kshama Sawant expressing solidarity with Starbucks workers organizing labor unions, though the resolution didn't promise any action. It passed 6-0, with Councilmember Lisa Herbold absent and Councilmembers Sara Nelson and Alex Pedersen not voting.

Workers at Starbucks locations on Capitol Hill, on Westlake Avenue, and at Fifth Avenue and Pike Place in Seattle; and at Broadway and 37th Street in Everett are also seeking recognition of their union.