A union representing more than 11,000 Starbucks baristas in the U.S. says its members will hold a five-day strike starting Friday morning over a dispute over pay and working conditions.
Workers United says there will be strikes in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle. Strike action will expand day by day, reaching hundreds of stores by Christmas Eve unless an agreement is reached with the coffee shop giant.
This follows the union’s demand that Starbucks increase wages and staffing levels and introduce better working hours for its employees.
“We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements. We need the union to return to the bargaining table,” a Starbucks spokesperson said in response to the strike announcement.
The company also highlighted that it offers an average wage of over $18 (£14.40) per hour as well as “best-in-class benefits”.
“Together, they are worth an average of $30 per hour for baristas who work at least 20 hours per week,” it said.
Workers United says it represents workers in more than 500 stores in 45 states.
“It is a last resort, but Starbucks has broken its promise to thousands of baristas and left us with no other choice,” Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi, a Starbucks barista from Texas, said in a union statement to the BBC.
Workers United has flagged what it believes is an unfair pay gap between its members and senior Starbucks bosses. including CEO Brian Niccol.
His annual base salary is $1.6 million. He could also receive a performance-based bonus of up to $7.2 million and up to $23 million per year in Starbucks stock.
Starbucks has previously defended the plan, saying that Mr. Niccol is “one of the most effective leaders in our industry” and that his compensation is “directly tied to the company’s performance and the collective success of all of our stakeholders.”
Mr. Niccol joined the company in September after his predecessor Laxman Narasimhan resigned from the position less than two years ago.
The world’s largest coffee shop chain reported declining sales as it grappled with a backlash against price hikes and boycotts sparked by the Israel-Gaza war.
The Starbucks strike happens like this One of the most powerful unions in the US is protesting against Amazonwith the aim of putting pressure on the technology giant, which sends packages in the last holiday season.
The Teamsters union said Amazon delivery drivers at seven facilities across the U.S. walked off their jobs Thursday after the company refused to negotiate a labor contract with the union.
