On the heels of the Christmas rush, Starbucks union employees were on strike in three states Friday citing issues over wages, benefits and staffing.
The five-day strike is slated in Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles, the union posted on X late Thursday, in response to the company” backtracking on our promised path forward.”
Starbucks union representatives said the strike could soon affect hundreds of stores across the United States.
“We’re calling on allies to join us at 3 “anchor” picket lines TODAY. Each day, we’ll announce more locations,” the union posted on social media.
Baristas will begin escalating strikes through Christmas Eve, according to the post.
According to a press release from the union, its representatives said they are ready to return to the bargaining table to discuss their complaints.
“Nobody wants to strike. It’s a last resort, but Starbucks has broken its promise to thousands of baristas and left us with no choice,” said Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi, a 5-year Starbucks barista from Texas and bargaining delegate.
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Starbucks: ‘No significant impact to our store operations’
Starbucks Spokesperson Phil Gee told USA TODAY Friday there has been “no significant impact to our store operations.”
“We are aware of disruption at a small handful of stores, but the overwhelming majority of our US stores remain open and serving customers as normal,” Gee said. “Workers United proposals call for an immediate increase in the minimum wage of hourly partners by 64%, and by 77% over the life of a three-year year contract. This is not sustainable.”
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Union: 98% of partners voted to strike
According to the release, 98% of union partners voted in favor of the strike authorization on Tuesday, showing their willingness “to do whatever it takes” to protest hundreds of “unresolved unfair labor practice charges.”
“Starbucks needs to invest in the baristas who make Starbucks run,” Silvia Baldwin, a Philadelphia barista and bargaining delegate said. “Right now, I’m making $16.50 an hour…The company just announced I’m only getting a 2.5% raise next year, $0.40 an hour, which is hardly anything. It’s one Starbucks drink per week.”
Starbucks Workers United union represents employees at more than 500 stores across the U.S.
“After all Starbucks has said about how they value partners throughout the system, we refuse to accept zero immediate investment in baristas’ wages and no resolution of the hundreds of outstanding unfair labor practices,” Lynne Fox, President of Workers United said in a statement obtained by USA TODAY.
The walkouts are expected to spread each day and reach hundreds of stores from coast to coast through Dec. 24, according to a release, “unless Starbucks honors a commitment it made in February” to work towards a foundational framework to achieve collective bargaining agreements for union workers.
Since the early 2024 commitment, the company has repeatedly pledged publicly that it intended to reach contracts by the end of the year, but it has yet to present workers with a serious economic proposal,” the union wrote.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
