Labor unions used to be the power brokers in the American workplace.

They gave us the eight-hour workday, paid vacation, health plans, and access to the middle class.

But membership has collapsed ever since Labor's heyday in the 1950s.

Now the labor movement is experiencing a resurgence,

and one of the biggest battlegrounds is where you get your

lattes.

I'm Gustavaryano.

You're listening to The Times, Daily News from the LA Times.

It's Tuesday, February 15, 2022.

Today, we're taking you to a Starbucks in Santa Cruz, California, where workers are demanding more from their corporate employers.

... Three out of the five shift supervisors when I've started here quit, one after another.

First, quit. One after another. Have a one?

Thank you.

My name's Joseph Thompson.

I'm 18 years old.

I've been at Starbucks for about two years in total now.

Now, my producer didn't drive all the way out to Santa Cruz just to pick up the chain's new

pistachio latte.

Yeah, the pistachio latte, it's made with the pistachio syrup. It's made it like with the real

pistachios. And then it comes to like milk, steam, espresso shots, salted, brown, like cookie

butter topping. Instead, we're checking in on ground zero of a campaign to organize a sector,

long resistant to unions, restaurants.

...