Starbucks faces strike at hundreds of stores in the US

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Around 200 stores are expected to be affected by the strike scheduled to take place this Thursday, November 16th. The union that represents some Starbucks workers in the United States said this year’s Red Cup strike would be longer than in 2022. Reuters via BBC The union that represents thousands of Starbucks workers in the United States is organizing a strike in one of the busiest days of the year for the coffee chain. The move comes amid a bitter fight between Starbucks and the Starbucks Workers United union, which began organizing the company’s workers in 2021. The two sides are fighting over pay, schedule and other issues. Around 200 stores are expected to be affected by the strike on November 16th. The protest is the second to coincide with Starbucks’ Red Cup day, when the company gives out holiday-themed reusable cups. In some places, the shutdown is expected to last just a few hours, while in others, the store is expected to close for most of the day. The union said the action aims to draw attention to Starbucks’ refusal to negotiate contracts fairly with unionized stores. Members also protest working conditions, including inadequate staffing on promotional days. “We are celebrating this Red Cup Day in response to the lack of employees, especially during the new promotional days,” Caitlin Power, a barista in Gardner, Massachusetts, said in a statement. “This leaves us overwhelmed and customers with long wait times. We are ready to see Starbucks come to the negotiating table in good faith so that we can resolve these issues.” Starbucks, which operates about 10,000 stores in the United States, said it does not expect major disruptions. The chain says it spent hundreds of millions of dollars on new equipment, training and higher wages and blamed the union for delays in negotiations, citing successful deals at several stores in Canada. “Starbucks remains ready to move forward with in-person negotiations with unions certified to represent partners,” the company said in a press release. Since 2021, workers from at least 350 of the company’s approximately 10,000 stores in the United States have voted to join the union. Starbucks vehemently opposed the campaign. Union members say the country is dragging its feet at the negotiating table and has gone so far as to lay off workers and close stores in an effort to halt the movement. Administrative law judges in the United States concluded that the company repeatedly violated labor laws. Starbucks, which typically appeals decisions, denied any wrongdoing. In 2022, former Starbucks boss Howard Schultz was forced to appear before Congress to respond to the union’s demands. The union campaign at Starbucks has been closely watched and is credited with helping to galvanize workers at other companies.

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