STARBUCKS workers in New York have won their first victory in a bid for union recognition after the National Labour Relations Board (NLRB) ruled on Thursday that voting would take place branch by branch.

“With this decision, we will now have the ability to win the first unionised Starbucks in the US ensuring our right to organise,” campaign organisers said.

Employees at three stores in the Buffalo region of New York state launched a unionisation campaign earlier this year.