Starbucks Union workers across the country are working to ensure a powerful worker strike on November 13. This date happens to be the company’s annual Red Cup Day. Since its creation in 2018, this event has been historic for Starbucks. For Starbucks, it signals the start of their holiday drink lineup and the handing out of their free reusable red cups! In 2023, the stakes have increased substantially. Thousands of unionized workers at more than 200 U.S.-based sites are prepared to strike if their contract demands are not agreed upon.
While Starbucks now has about 10,000 total company-owned stores in the U.S., it’s still only about 550 of these stores that are presently unionized. Since 2021, workers have been voting to unionize at record rates. This historic wave of unionization efforts shows just how much workers are willing to fight for improved working conditions, pay and benefits.
The labor dispute is occurring in the context of significant recent turnover in leadership. Enlarge / Last December, Starbucks pledged to conclude a comprehensive bargaining agreement with its unionized workers by the end of 2024. This pledge is the legacy of former CEO Laxman Narasimhan, who was removed last autumn. Brian Niccol, the recently appointed chairman and CEO, is already under fire from union leaders. They point to a lack of progress under his leadership.
Then in September, Starbucks permanently closed 59 unionized stores, blaming the closures on a “store restructuring” plan — a move widely seen as a retaliation. Advocacy groups and workers have responded fiercely to this move. Many of the baristas are claiming that they’ve not been getting the minimum 20 hours of work/week that qualifies them for the company benefits.
First, the union declared that strike-ready workers in at least 25 cities. They will act if the negotiations aren’t moving swiftly enough. Starbucks plans to leave the majority of its company-owned stores and over 7,000 licensed locations operational, should a walkout take place. Still, today’s such actions—as insubstantial as they may be on the surface—would go a long way.
“Our fight is about actually making Starbucks jobs the best jobs in retail. Right now, it’s only the best job in retail for Brian Niccol.” – Jasmine Leli
Starbucks will give away free reusable red cups all day long on Red Cup Day. This gesture is assumedly meant to attract customers, despite the Labor Day unrest on the horizon. The situation underscores the tension between workers seeking fair treatment and a corporation navigating the complexities of union negotiations amidst changing leadership.
