The strike threat marks the latest escalation in the union’s efforts to pressure Starbucks. Employees began voting to unionize some US stores nearly four years ago, but have yet to secure a collective bargaining agreement. After years of high-profile conflict and controversy, the two sides announced in February 2024 that they had agreed to work together to resolve hostilities. But subsequent talks broke down late last year, and since then, tensions have been rising.
Regional directors of the US National Labor Relations Board have issued more than 100 complaints against the company, alleging illegal anti-union tactics including closing stores, firing activists and refusing to fairly negotiate. Starbucks has denied wrongdoing.
Workers United delegates representing employees at Starbucks’ unionized stores voted in April to reject the company’s contract proposal, which organizers said fell short by only guaranteeing annual raises of at least 2%, and had no guarantees employees would get enough hours of work to qualify for the company’s benefits.
The union says the company has refused to offer any improved proposal since then, and that reaching a contract deal would cost Starbucks less than the roughly $100 million the company generates in global sales on average per day. Starting pay for Starbucks baristas in many states is as low as $15.25 an hour, according to the union.
Workers United has mounted strikes around the winter holidays each of the past few years. In 2024, Starbucks said that a Workers United strike in the lead-up to Christmas caused around 60 stores to temporarily close, while the overwhelming majority of its locations remained busy with customers. The union said that work stoppage in fact caused temporary closures at hundreds of stores.
Employees are prepared to mount strikes without a set end date that would last longer and grow bigger than their prior ones, according to the union, and have secured pledges from tens of thousands of allies not to buy from Starbucks during a work stoppage. Thousands of baristas participated in the strike authorization vote, with 92% voting in favor, according to Workers United.
“The difference about this action is that it’s open-ended, and we’re ready to continue escalating, if necessary,” said Jasmine Leli, a barista and union leader in Buffalo, New York.
