INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Baristas at the Mass Ave Starbucks voted 13-3 to join Starbucks Workers United, a Service Employees International Union affiliate.

The Indianapolis partners join a growing nationwide movement of 10,500 baristas at 460+ stores working together to win justice at work, including protections on core issues like respect, living wages, racial and gender equity, and fair scheduling. The historic organizing campaign hinges on peer-to-peer organizing led by workers, for workers – and has won election after election in stores nationwide. 

“I’m ecstatic that we won our union election! It’s beautiful for all of us to come together for positive change within our store. This is just the beginning and I hope other Indianapolis stores can come together too,” said Morgan Wilson, a shift supervisor of one year.

“I’m proud of my team and hopeful for the future. My coworkers are incredible people, so it brings me much joy to know our value as partners will be recognized and our voices will be heard,” said Saturn Adair, a barista of 4 years.

Starbucks partners in the following locations have won union elections in the past week:

• Wheaton Way & Sylvan Way – Bremerton, WA (Seattle Area)
• Beechmont & Five Mile – Cincinnati, OH
• Capitol Square Mall – San Jose, CA
• Sepulveda & Vose – Van Nuys, CA (Los Angeles Area)
• Essex Junction – Burlington, VT
• North Point & Haynes Bridge – Alpharetta, GA (Atlanta Area)
• Holcomb Bridge & Holcomb Woods – Roswell, GA (Atlanta Area)
• Speedway & Park – Tucson, AZ
• Broadway & Canal – New York City, NY

“Coming together as partners is what Starbucks is all about. In all my years with the Siren, I have never felt such greater community than I have at Mass Ave. Unionizing solidifies this sense of community. May we continue to nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection,” said Echo Moon Star (he/she/they), a barista of 7 years. 

Workers United-represented partners met Starbucks at the bargaining table again last month as they continue to make progress on a foundational framework that is intended to form the basis of store contracts. Hundreds of delegates representing all union stores are engaged in the bargaining process. The parties are working toward ratified contracts for represented stores by the end of the year. 

Since 2021, more than 460 Starbucks stores in 44 states and the District of Columbia have successfully unionized — more than any other company in the 21st Century.

Can the concept of a walk with your friends be trademarked?

That question is at the center of a legal dispute involving an Indianapolis woman.

The organizer of a popular Indianapolis walking club, Casey Springer, has been sued by TikTok influencer, Mia Lind, for allegedly using her trademarked brand without permission, business disparagement and defamation. Lind began promoting the idea of a women-only mental health walk during the pandemic and branded it as “Hot Girl Walk.”

Springer said she was inspired by the California-based Lind to create Hot Girl Walk Indianapolis but did not want to partner with the company because of differing values. For one, she did not like Hot Girl Walk’s partnership with Weight Watchers, which she said could hurt some of the Indianapolis participants who suffered from eating disorders. From there, the conflict grew. Springer accused Lind of trying to shut down a local walking club that was free to the community. Lind accused Springer of disparaging and harassing her and her company and encouraging her followers do the same, according to the lawsuit.

“When I created Hot Girl Walk, I never expected something like this to happen,” Lind said in a statement. “Ms. Springer’s words and actions are very scary, and this was my only choice to protect me, my family, and my company.”

Springer said her negative comments were made in a private chat with her friends, which someone later leaked to Lind and she said she never intended for her words to go beyond a small group.

“I was venting with my galpals,” Springer said. “That’s all it was.”

The story has all the trappings of a modern day digital feud — a viral TikTok post that birthed a company, accusations of trolling and doxing and a fight over a bubbly pink brand. But the heart of the conflict, what is trademarked and what is fair use, is nothing new.

The story really begins with ‘Hot Girl Summer,’ a 2019 banger by Megan Thee Stallion that carved out a permanent spot in Millennial and Gen Z vernacular. The idea of the hot girl — who exudes confidence and spunk no matter the struggles in life — took off.

Then Lind, a University of Southern California student or @exactlyliketheothergirls, shared a “hot” weight loss tip on TikTok in 2021.

“If you want to know how I went from *this* to *this,” she says in the video as before and after weight loss photos flashed. “Listen up. This is for you.”

Hot Girl Walk

That was the start of Hot Girl Walk, a four-mile walk during which participants are encouraged to think about their achievements, goals and feel confident. As many as tens of thousands women have joined Lind on her walks.

Lind later trademarked the term and launched a business that organizes walks from Los Angeles to New York to Miami. It’s Barbie meets athleisure, backed by big brands like Reebok, Lululemon and Weight Watchers.

Lind’s company now also sells merchandise, from hats to hoodies.

“Being hot isn’t about what you look like but it’s everything to do with what comes from the inside out,” Lind said in a recent TV interview.

We Walk Indy

Last year, Springer, a Broad Ripple resident, launched a local walking club for “the Girls, Gays + Theys,” according to its website. The weekly walks are free, and organizers partner with local groups like Indianapolis Cultural Trail Inc. Springer said she doesn’t make money off the group.

Lind alleges that Springer first used the name Hot Girl Walk Indy before changing the group’s name to Hot Walk Indy last year, both of which she claims violates copyright laws, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

The lawsuit also lays out allegations of online bullying by Springer and her supporters, including calling the merchandise “butt ugly” and “reporting false walks in the Bermuda triangle, Pangea, Antarctica, prisons, and/or islands where the inhabitants attack HOT GIRL WALK participants that come on the island,” according to the lawsuit.

Supporters of the local group accused Lind of being overly zealous in targeting a free community group.

On Tuesday, the local group changed its name on Instagram to We Walk Indy.

“At the end of the day, I’m just here to create an inclusive walking club for my community. I love my community and everything we stand for and have built together for the last year,” the Instagram account says. “No one can take that from us. No one.”

Binghui Huang can be reached at 317-385-1595 or Bhuang@gannett.com

INDIANAPOLIS – A summertime tradition returns to downtown Indianapolis on Thursday, when the 35^th annual Ice Cream Social takes over Monument Circle.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., visitors can enjoy a hand-scooped sundae. The event is a partnership between the American Dairy Association Indiana and the Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis.

All proceeds and tips will directly benefit Boys & Girls Club centers, whose programs serve more than 7,300 area youth.

It’s a fitting event for July, which marks National Ice Cream Month. An ice cream sundae costs $5; bottled water is also available for $1.

In addition to ice cream, visitors will also find music, games, mascot appearances and more. FOX59/CBS4’s Dan Spehler and Cameron Ridle are among the celebrity scoopers.

Learn more about the event here.