Starbucks Strike Hits 65 Stores Across 40 Cities
Synopsis
Starbucks workers went on strike Thursday in more than 40 cities during Red Cup Day, one of the biggest sales days for the chain. The union says that more than 1,000 baristas at more than 65 stores joined the work stoppage, while Starbucks maintained that the strike had limited impact, citing that they exceeded their sales expectations. Workers are demanding better hours, higher wages, and resolution of unfair labor practice charges. The union represents about 4% of Starbucks workers. Both sides blame each other for failed negotiations.
Workers of Starbucks coffee shops stopped working on Thursday. The strike happened on Red Cup Day, one of the biggest sales days in the year for Starbucks. The union which represents these workers is called Starbucks Workers United, and they say that over 1,000 baristas joined the strike. These workers are employed at over 65 stores in more than 40 cities.
The workers voted to authorise this strike after an agreement could not be reached between them and Starbucks over their contract. Baristas and the company have been trying to negotiate, but the talks fell apart, and they could not agree on terms.
What Workers Want from Starbucks
The union is aiming for improved work hours and better pay for the baristas. Workers also want Starbucks to address hundreds of complaints about unfair labour practices. These have been filed against the company, and workers say it needs to resolve them. Their contract negotiations broke down late last year, when the two sides stopped meeting. In February, Starbucks and the union went into mediation. That is when a neutral party tries to get both sides to reach an agreement.
In April, Starbucks made a proposal about wages and benefits, but hundreds of barista delegates voted against accepting it. Both Starbucks and the union blame each other for why they can't reach a deal. They also both say they are ready to start negotiating again. The baristas say they are ready to make this strike bigger and longer and will do everything that it takes to make this the largest and longest strike in the history of the company if Starbucks does not give them a fair contract
How Starbucks Responded To The Strike
Starbucks said the strike did not significantly affect how much money it made from Red Cup Day. That indicates the strike did not hurt business as much as the union hoped it would. Starbucks said they are prepared to serve customers across its nearly 18,000 stores that the company operates and licenses during this holiday season.
Anderson said in a statement on Monday that Starbucks offers the best job in retail, with more than $30 an hour on average when you combine pay and benefits for hourly workers. She pointed out that Workers United only represents 4% of Starbucks partners and that the union chose to walk away from the bargaining table.
Starbucks has asked them to come back many times. Anderson said if the union is ready to return, Starbucks is ready to talk, and they believe they can reach a reasonable deal quickly. Past strikes at Starbucks have impacted fewer than 1% of its stores, the coffee chain had previously said. Starbucks recently broke a nearly two-year streak of declining same-store sales in its most recent quarterly report.
What Might Happen Next
Sara Kelly is the chief partner officer at Starbucks, and she wrote a letter to workers last week addressing the strike authorisation vote. She said they were trying to reach agreements that make sense for partners and for the long-term success of Starbucks. Kelly said they reached more than 30 tentative agreements on full contract articles. She said Workers United walked away from the table, but if they are ready to come back, Starbucks is ready to talk
Workers have proclaimed their slogan: "no contract, no coffee," and they mean it. They say it as a pledge to interrupt Starbucks operations and profits until they win a fair union contract and an end to unfair labour practices.
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