If you want to grab your favorite holiday drink while doing some last-minute gift shopping, you might want to call ahead. Starbucks union is currently on a five-day strike, extending through Christmas Eve.
The strike, started by Starbucks Workers United, began on Friday, with walkouts happening in Seattle, Chicago and Los Angeles. Since then, the strikes spread to nine states, with locations in Ohio, Missouri, New Jersey, Oregon, New York and Colorado also joining by shutting down stores. The union told CNN the strike could spread to hundreds of stores by Christmas Eve.
What the union seeks
The union went on strike after “Starbucks failed to bring a viable economic policy to the bargaining table or resolve hundreds of unfair labor charges" per the union. The union represents 525 stores and 10,000 employees nationwide.
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On X, the union stated, “Since February, Starbucks has repeatedly pledged publicly that they intended to reach contracts by the end of the year — but they’ve yet to present workers with a serious economic proposal.” The goal of the union is to continue these escalating strikes, resulting in more closed stores and lost revenue, at one of the busiest times of the year for Starbucks.
The baseline, according to the union, is for baristas to earn $20 per hour, while shift supervisors make $25.40. On top of this, they want a 5% annual raise and cost of living adjustments. They also want all workers to be enrolled in the employer-sponsored 401(k) plan.
Another issue addressed is consistent scheduling. The union said often baristas work inconsistent hours that might fluctuate week-to-week, making it difficult to budget monthly income. The union demands that Starbucks provide a fairer process for consistent scheduling.
How Starbucks handles it
Starbucks responded to the strikes, claiming that union delegates backed out of bargaining talks. A spokesman told NBC News, “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 contract, and that isn’t sustainable.
Announcing its fourth-quarter results in October, Starbucks fell short of their revenue mark. The coffee giant reported net revenue fell by 3.1% to $9.1 billion, which was short of the $9.4 billion mark anticipated by CNBC.
The two sides plan to meet for the final time on Christmas Eve. So far, over 50 stores have shut their doors during the strike, in busy locations like Boston, Brooklyn, Denver, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Columbus and Portland.
Will the Starbucks strike impact you?
Chances are, the impact on you is minimal at this time since Starbucks has tens of thousands of stores nationwide. Still, if you plan to grab a drink or any gifts, it might be wise to call ahead just in case your stores are one of the ones impacted.
Currently, here are some cities with closures:
- Columbus
- Portland, Oregon
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Seattle
- Denver
- Pittsburgh
- Philadelphia
- St. Louis
- Dallas
- Long Island
You can also use this map of store closures, courtesy of Newsweek.
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