Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) and the Workers United union have agreed to bring in an outside mediator to advance contract negotiations. The coffee chain operator and Workers United noted in a joint statement that they have made progress over the last nine months of bargaining,

A labor agreement, covering more than 500 U.S. stores, would be the company’s first. Talks stalled last year over wages.

They’ve been negotiating a template for collective bargaining agreements covering more than 500 cafes in the U.S.