The number of striking stores has increased from 65 to a total of 95, with establishments joining the protest in cities such as Cleveland, Memphis, Springfield, and Albany, and the number of protesting employees has risen from 1,000 to 2,000, with no progress in negotiations for better working conditions.
“We simply want higher net wages, better schedules, stronger support, and an end to union harassment. For months, Starbucks has not offered us a serious contract proposal. Until that happens, we will continue to intensify the pressure,” communicated the SWU via the social network X.
The union states that negotiations have been stalled for six months and that the company has “refused to present new proposals to meet demands for more workers in the stores, higher wages, and the resolution of hundreds of accusations of unfair labor practices.”
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol, who has received $95 million in compensation since joining the company, announced in an internal message that sales were hitting record levels at the start of the holiday season, the critical period chosen by striking employees to apply pressure, according to CNBC.
The protest began last Thursday, on ‘Red Cup Day,’ one of the busiest days of the year when Starbucks offers reusable cups to customers participating in the initiative.
The strike has already generated messages of support from Democratic politicians, including senators and representatives, who are trying to pressure the Starbucks CEO to return to the negotiation table, which has been inactive since April.
The president-elect of the New York City Council, Zohran Mamdani, has called for a boycott against Starbucks under the motto “no contract, no coffee.”
The Starbucks workers’ union, formed at the end of 2021, reports on its website that it represents 11,000 workers in 550 stores in the United States. Starbucks operates approximately 10,000 company-owned stores in the U.S. and 7,000 franchised locations in places such as airports.
“As we have said, 99% of our 17,000 stores in the U.S. continue to serve customers, including many that the union publicly stated would strike but never closed or have already reopened,” said Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson.
