Yesterday, nearly 5,000 Starbucks employees walked out on Christmas Eve as part of a nationwide strike. According to Starbucks Workers United, nearly 300 Starbucks stores nationwide were impacted by this strike across 47 states. Starbucks Workers United, which has unionized more than 525 Starbucks locations across the United States, said in a press release that unfair labor practices and stalled negotiations with the company are the catalyst behind the holiday season strike. The strike comes during the peak of the holiday season, affecting 170 Starbucks locations yesterday that did not open as planned.
The strike was organized by workers who wanted to raise awareness of the alleged unfair labor practices and stalled negotiations from a contract that had not been resolved since February. Starbucks workers are seeking an immediate increase in Starbucks’ minimum hourly wage by as much as 64%, and over 77% over the life of a three-year contract. In a public letter released Monday by Starbucks, Executive Vice President and Chief Partner Officer Sara Kelly said: “We are ready to continue negotiations when the union comes back to the bargaining table.”
Earlier this month, the company said it had committed to a minimum 1.5% annual pay increase or more for unionized workers in future years, but the union rejected the offer, instead demanding an immediate pay increase. Starbucks Workers United represents employees at 525 of Starbucks’ 11,000 stores nationwide, accounting for 11,000 of Starbucks’ roughly 200,000 total employees. In 2024, over 100 stores voted to join the union, including six new ones just this week in Maine, North Carolina, Texas, New York City, and Seattle.
