Starbucks Baristas’ Strike Coincides With Red Cup Giveaway
- Union says thousands of workers participate in stoppage
- Negotiations have stalled amid accusations from both sides
Strike posters at a closed unionized Starbucks Coffee outlet in California in 2022.
Photographer: Mark Rightmire/Orange County Register/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Thousands of Starbucks Corp. baristas went on strike Thursday, claiming the coffee chain refuses to fairly negotiate with their union.
The work stoppage is pegged to the company’s Red Cup Day, when Starbucks gives out holiday-themed reusable cups. Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, said staff at hundreds of cafes are participating. It’s one of several tactics — along with outreach to politicians and to students on campuses where Starbucks has contracts — that the union has deployed in an effort to make the company change its behavior.