Starbucks employees have been on strike since November 13 amidst unfair labor practices and wages by the large, multi-billion-dollar coffee corporation.
The Starbucks Workers Union formed to represent employees at 640 unionized stores among the coffee giant’s 10,000+ in the United States. They were bargaining for a new contract back in April 2024, and after several months of baristas meeting with executives to express grievances and concerns, Starbucks ultimately said “no” in December 2024.
Although the company provided an economic package to the baristas, the details of which are unknown, it didn’t resolve any of their issues. Workers United, an American and Canadian labor organization, filed a national unfair labor practice charge in December 2024, alleging that Starbucks didn’t fairly bargain with the union and undermined it. The charge was later amended and expanded in April 2025.
According to Starbucks Workers United, they write, “In 2025, the company unlawfully implemented new policies without bargaining with the Union.” What does the union want? Well, what they’ve been wanting all year—improved staffing in their stores, more work hours, raises to pay bills, and a resolution for hundreds of outstanding unfair labor charges for union busting. One of the unfair labor charges is the restrictive dress code. CBS News wrote an article back in May discussing the new dress code.
“The new dress code, which went into effect on Monday, requires employees at company-operated and licensed stores in the U.S. and Canada to wear a solid black shirt and khaki, black, or blue denim bottoms under their green apron.” It continues with how this dress code should have been open to collective bargaining with the Union. CBS News got a statement from Paige Summers, a Starbucks supervisor from Hanover, Maryland, and she says, “Starbucks has lost its way. Instead of listening to baristas who make the Starbucks experience what it is, they are focused on all the wrong things … Customers don’t care what color our clothes are when they’re waiting 30 minutes for a latte.” But Paige isn’t the only employee to respond to Starbucks’ way of thinking.
The YouTube channel More Perfect Union uploaded a video with Siti, a two-year Starbucks shift supervisor and organizer, where she explains that if Starbucks doesn’t finalize a fair labor union contract, baristas across the United States will launch an unfair labor strike—and over 12,000 employees did just that. “We’re talking about the second-biggest fast food corporation in the world. A company that has spent the last four years trying to break our union, committing the most labor rights violations in U.S. history.”
The prime example she used was two article headings of Starbucks firing pro-union employees, which resulted in many illegal union-busting charges. They also would rather pay their CEO, Brian Niccol, $96 million for 120 days of work in 2024. Siti continues with, “It would cost them less than one day of sales to finalize our contract and settle all unfair labor disputes. Yet, they’d rather fly CEO Brian Niccol around in a private jet and spend an estimated $240 million on union busting than pay us what we deserve.” Again, what do they deserve? Improved store staffing, paycheck raises, increased work hours, and a resolution to the unresolved unfair labor practice charges. Is that so difficult to pay when their CEO is rolling in what they so rightfully deserve?
USA Today reported that the union has not heard from any higher-ups at Starbucks, except for a statement from Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson. The union was striking on Red Cup Day, where anyone could get a free reusable red cup by purchasing a holiday or fall drink. The union wanted to turn Red Cup Day into “Red Cup Rebellion,” but Anderson saw otherwise when it came to the numbers. “Less than 1% of our coffeehouses are experiencing any level of disruption, and the vast majority of our 240,000 partners came to work ready to serve our customers.” She continues that she and her team will be waiting at the bargaining table when the union is ready to talk. That may be true, but the union has been ready since day one. The real question is whether Starbucks is ready to bargain.
Last week, we saw the same thing with Casa Bonita and their employees—Let’s hope this doesn’t become yet another horrific pattern for our country.
