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The strike, led by Starbucks Workers United, demands higher pay and improved staffing to address what employees describe as chronic understaffing during peak hours.
Workers at dozens of stores in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania joined the strike over the weekend. Starbucks has a total of about 16,000 stores in the US and around 35,000 worldwide.
Over the weekend, picket lines formed at high-traffic stores in New York City and suburban New Jersey, drawing support from customers and local politicians, with workers holding signs with various slogans, including "No Contract, No Coffee," and "Union Strong."
According to a statement from the union, workers say they’re fighting for fairness.
A Starbucks Workers United spokesperson told CNN on Saturday, Dec. 21 that 30 stores nationwide were closed completely.
"Starbucks can’t get back on track as a company until it finalizes a fair contract that invests in its workforce," said Silvia Baldwin, a barista in Philadelphia, in a union press release.
"Right now, I’m making $16.50 an hour, while (Starbucks CEO) Brian Niccol’s compensation package is worth $57,000 an hour. The company just announced I’m only getting a 2.5 percent raise next year—40 cents an hour, which is hardly anything. It’s one Starbucks drink per week. Starbucks needs to invest in the baristas who make Starbucks run.”
In a statement, Starbucks responded by saying, "Workers United proposals call for an immediate increase in the minimum wage of hourly partners by 64 percent and by 77 percent over the life of a three-year contract," Starbucks said, as reported by Fox Business. "This is not sustainable."
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