Starbucks Worker’s Strikes Now Hit Major Cities; Here’s What They Are Demanding

Starbucks workers have expanded their ongoing strike to additional U.S. cities, with unionized baristas in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and St. Louis joining the protest. The strike, organized by Workers United, began on Friday, December 20, and initially affected stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle.

The five-day strike happens during the busy holiday season and has temporarily closed many Starbucks stores. Workers United, which represents more than 10,000 baristas across 525 stores across the country, said the strike could expand to include “hundreds of stores” by Christmas Eve.

The Demands

The union is demanding better pay, increased staffing, and improved schedules. Workers have expressed concern about low wages, which they believe is too low at the current $21 hourly rate in light of inflation and living costs. The union is also protesting what it considers unfair labor practices, including write-ups, “captive-audience” meetings, and firings of union supporters.

Union members are calling for a 64% immediate increase in the minimum wage and a 77% rise over the course of a three-year contract. Starbucks has rejected the demands, calling them “unsustainable.” The company has offered a future wage hike of 1.5%, which the union has dismissed as insufficient.

What is Starbucks’ response?

According to Starbucks, the strike has had little impact on operations because it affects just a small number of its outlets. The Seattle-based coffee company argues that it respects workers’ freedom to unionize, having participated in over eight negotiation sessions with Workers United since April and reached 30 agreements on a variety of issues.

However, the union says that Starbucks has yet to make any meaningful economic alternatives and that critical concerns remain unresolved as the contracts’ deadlines approach at the end of the year.

The strike highlights escalating labor market tensions during the holiday season, as Amazon employees at seven U.S. facilities have taken similar labor actions. Starbucks employs roughly 200,000 people across its more than 11,000 locations in the US, so the company is very concerned about the strike’s possible spread during its busiest time of year.

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