Starbucks and Workers United, the union representing workers at more than 500 company-owned outlets across the U.S., have decided to engage an outside mediator to restart stalled bargaining discussions. In a joint statement, the two sides said that they had made progress over the last nine months, and that they were “committed to continuing to work together — with a mediator’s assistance — to navigate complex issues and reach fair contracts.” “We are optimistic that Starbucks will move off of their fixed position on wage and benefits improvements in this next phase of negotiations,” Michelle Eisen, a longtime Starbucks barista who has helped lead the organizing, said in a statement on Thursday. A Starbucks spokesman declined to comment beyond the joint statement.
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