Starbucks employees from several store locations are pushing to unionize in the Buffalo, New York area. Upper management is reportedly stifling the efforts through various actions.

If these employees are successful, they will be the first Starbucks store of nearly 9,000 nationwide to unionize.

The Walden & Anderson location in Cheektowaga, New York and the Transit Commons location in East Amherst, New York are expected to file petitions with the National Labor Relations Board. If filed successfully, the union will be able to hold official union elections. Starbucks Workers United is the name of the new union group.

For representation elections to be official, signatures from 30% of workers from each union branch must sign union cards, as regulated by the National Labor Relations Board. Starbucks Workers United is waiting for the board to approve their request for elections.

Starbucks refers to their employees as “partners” and some employees feel as though the term is misused by upper management.

In a letter sent via Twitter to President and CEO of Starbucks, Kevin Johnson, Starbucks Workers United announced their conviction for unionization.

“We believe that there can be no true partnership without power-sharing and accountability. We are organizing a union because we believe that this is the best way to contribute meaningfully to our partnership with the company and ensure both that our voices are heard and that, when we are heard, we have equal power to affect change and get things done,” said the Starbucks Workers United Organizing Committee in the letter.

The organizing committee on Starbucks Workers United cite that their reasoning behind unionizing is to help make their employment a “sustainable career” and “true partnership.”

Starbucks Workers United is calling for “Non-Interference and Fair Elections Principles or Partner Unionization” through a list of guidelines to be followed by the Starbucks conglomerate and the union group. Starbucks has yet to sign it.

Vice reported that Starbucks executives are attempting to squash the efforts of unionization using tactics popular among anti-union corporations.

“This week, Starbucks announced that unionizing stores will hold mandatory meetings, known as “captive audience meetings,” that are regularly used by employers to dissuade and intimidate workers from unionizing by presenting anti-union rhetoric as fact,” reported Lauren Kaori Gurley with Vice.

Employees of the store locations associated with Starbucks Workers United report that president of North America Starbucks, Rossann Williams, is making rounds and meeting with Buffalo region staff.

“We respect our partners’ right to organize but believe that they would not find it necessary given our pro-partner environment,” said a Starbucks spokesperson.