Starbucks workers union strikes in US cities | Labor rights news
Some members of the union that represents more than 10,000 baristas at Starbucks across the United States have begun a five-day strike at stores in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, citing unresolved issues over wages, staffing and hours.
The strike, which began Friday, is the latest in a series of labor disputes across the U.S. that have gained momentum across service industries after workers in the automotive, aerospace and rail industries won significant concessions from employers .
The Starbucks Workers United Union, which represents employees at 525 stores across the U.S., said late Thursday that walkouts would escalate daily and could reach “hundreds of stores” nationwide by Christmas Eve.
“It is estimated that 10 of the 10,000 stores operated by the company will not be open today,” Starbucks said, adding that there was no significant impact on store operations on Friday.
About 20 people joined a picket line at a Starbucks location on Chicago’s north side, where they were battered by snow and wind but cheered in response to the honking of passing cars.
A few confused customers tried to go into the closed store before the strikers began chanting, but union member Shep Searl said the reaction was mostly positive.
Searl said 100 percent of unionized workers at the Starbucks location in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood took part in the strike and, according to workers, they were subjected to numerous unfair labor practices, including cover letters, “captive audience” meetings and firings. (A closed-door meeting is a mandatory meeting organized by a company where employees are interested in unionizing and where labor relations consultants are brought in to discuss the pros and cons of unionization.)
The union members said they earned about $21 an hour, adding that this “would have been a great wage in 2013.”
Given inflation and the high cost of living in a big city, the baristas said it was an inadequate wage, especially since they rarely got a 40-hour week.
“We plan to escalate if necessary,” they said.
deadlock
Negotiations between the company and Workers United began in April based on a framework agreed to in February that could also help resolve numerous pending litigation.
The company said Thursday that it has held more than nine collective bargaining negotiations with the union since April and reached more than 30 agreements on “hundreds of issues,” including economic issues.
The company, headquartered in Seattle, agreed to continue negotiations, claiming union delegates ended the bargaining session early this week.
However, the union said in a Facebook post on Friday that Starbucks has not yet submitted a serious economic proposal and has less than two weeks left until the contract expires at the end of the year.
The labor group also rejected an offer of no immediate wage increase and a guarantee of a 1.5 percent increase in future years.
“Workers United’s proposals call for an immediate 64 percent increase in the minimum wage for hourly associates and 77 percent over the life of a three-year contract. “This is not sustainable,” Starbucks said Friday.
Hundreds of complaints have been filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) accusing Starbucks of unlawful labor practices such as firing union supporters and closing stores during labor disputes. Starbucks has denied wrongdoing and said it respects workers’ rights to decide whether to join a union.
Last month, the NLRB said Starbucks violated the law by telling workers at its flagship Seattle coffee shop that they would lose benefits if they joined a union.
“The strike comes at one of Starbucks’ busiest times of the year, which could compound its impact while bringing unwanted public scrutiny over the company’s labor practices,” said Rachel Wolff, an analyst at market researcher Emarketer.
The coffee chain is undergoing a turnaround under its newly appointed boss Brian Niccol, who wants to restore “coffee house culture” by, among other things, renewing the cafés and simplifying the menu.
“Considering how much Starbucks is already struggling to attract customers, it cannot afford the negative publicity – or impact on sales – that the strike might bring,” Wolff said.
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The Starbucks workers’ strike occurs the same week Amazon employee People at seven U.S. facilities walked off their jobs Thursday during the holiday shopping rush.
There were 33 work stoppages in 2023, the most since 2000, although far fewer than in previous decades, data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed.
