LOS ANGELES (AP) — Unionized Starbucks workers announced Thursday they will launch strikes at stores across the country beginning Friday, potentially disrupting service during one of the coffee chain’s busiest periods of the year.
Workers United, representing employees at more than 525 unionized U.S. Starbucks locations, said the strikes will start in major markets including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle, with plans to expand to hundreds of stores nationwide by Christmas Eve.
The union cited stalled negotiations and unfair labor practices as catalysts for the action. In Burbank, California, workers will begin picketing at 10 a.m. Friday at the West Alameda Avenue location.
“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 five-year Starbucks barista and bargaining delegate.
The dispute centers on a February 2024 agreement between Workers United and Starbucks to develop a “foundational framework” for collective bargaining. The union claims Starbucks has failed to present a serious economic proposal despite public pledges to reach contracts by year’s end.
Starbucks spokesperson Phil Gee downplayed the impact of the planned actions, stating, “We are aware of disruption at a small handful of stores, but the overwhelming majority of our U.S. stores remain open and serving customers as normal.”
The company defended its labor practices, citing an average wage of $18 per hour and benefits including healthcare, college tuition assistance, paid family leave, and stock grants. However, the union’s proposals call for more substantial increases – a 64% immediate raise in minimum hourly wages, growing to 77% over a three-year contract period.
“This is not sustainable,” Starbucks said in a statement. The company also claimed Workers United delegates “prematurely ended” recent bargaining sessions, adding, “We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements. We need the union to return to the table.”
The strikes threaten to disrupt service during what the union describes as Starbucks’ most crucial sales period. Workers United plans to expand the walkouts daily through December 24 unless the company honors its February commitments.
The labor action marks the latest development in an ongoing struggle between the coffee giant and its unionized workforce, which has grown significantly over the past two years despite what labor organizers describe as company resistance to collective bargaining efforts.
