A walkout at more than 300 Starbucks stores across the U.S. is underway on Tuesday, with approximately 5,000 workers participating in a five-day labor action, according to the Starbucks Workers Union. This represents a significant escalation from Monday, when workers at over 60 stores in 12 major cities walked off the job. The union anticipates this Christmas Eve expansion to be the largest yet.
“Half the baristas in my store drive 30 minutes one way because they can’t afford to live closer to work,” said Lauren Hollingsworth, a barista from Ashland, Oregon, highlighting the workers’ concerns in a union release. She added that these strikes are a demonstration of the union’s strength.
Starbucks acknowledges the walkouts, stating that the temporarily closed stores represent a “very small number” of its more than 10,000 U.S. locations. Sara Kelly, Starbucks’ executive vice president and chief partner officer, anticipates further closures on Christmas Eve but assures that 97% to 99% of its stores will remain unaffected. The company maintains its readiness to resume negotiations when the union returns to the bargaining table.
The five-day strike, which began Friday, coincides with the busy holiday shopping season. It expanded throughout the weekend to include more stores and cities, fueled by workers’ protests over stalled contract negotiations. The union claims Starbucks has failed to uphold a February commitment to reach a labor agreement this year, citing a proposed economic package with no immediate wage increases for unionized baristas and only a 1.5% increase in future years.
Starbucks counters that Workers United prematurely ended negotiations and emphasizes its current pay and benefits package, which it claims is worth $30 an hour for those working at least 20 hours a week. Beyond wages, the union also demands that Starbucks address outstanding legal issues, including numerous unfair labor practice charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board. This mirrors similar labor disputes elsewhere, notably the recent Teamsters union strikes at seven Amazon delivery hubs. The walkouts continue to impact thirteen metropolitan areas across the country. A list of active picket lines planned for Tuesday was provided by the union.