Union drive hits Target

Workers at a Target store in Western Virginia have joined the union organizing wave.

Employees at Target’s store in Christiansburg, Va., on Tuesday filed paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board to hold a union election. The workers are seeking representation through the New River Valley General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World.

The filing was first reported by The New Republic. The umbrella organization for Target employees seeking to unionize is called Target Workers Unite, which the organizers of the union drive hope to make a subsidiary of IWW, the report said.

In a statement, Target said that its team members “are at the heart of our strategy and success, and we have a deep commitment to listening to our team and creating an environment of mutual trust where every team member’s voice matters.”

Target noted its industry-leading starting hourly wages of $15 to $24, expanded health care benefits, personalized scheduling and opportunities for career growth and educational assistance.

The filing by the Target employees filing comes as nearly 60 Starbucks locations around the country have voted to unionize. The coffee giant recently announced array of new employee benefits as it looks to deter a spreading union push.

[Read More: Starbucks investing $1 billion in new wage hikes, training, store innovation]

Meanwhile, the fledgling union effort at Amazon was dealt a setback earlier this month when workers at an Amazon warehouse located on the New York City borough of Staten Island have voted overwhelmingly to reject forming a union.