Starbucks Union Strike Continues To Expand Across US – CoffeeTalk

Starbucks Workers United has announced a five-day strike against the company, which has reached nine states. The union has said that workers in Missouri, New Jersey, and New York began their strike after locations in Colorado, Ohio, and Pennsylvania joined the strike on Saturday. The strike is on its third day after walkouts in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle, where Starbucks is headquartered and opened its first location.

Starbucks Workers United is seeking wage increases for baristas in an economic proposal ahead of their end-of-year deadline. The union has had a framework in place with Starbucks management since February to reach its first labor agreement and resolve outstanding legal complaints. Starbucks said in a statement Thursday that the union prematurely ended bargaining sessions this week after holding more than nine sessions and bargaining over 20 days since April.

The five-day strike comes during the busy holiday season when the coffeehouse chain gets a boost from its fall and winter beverages, gift cards, and drinkware products. While there are no picket locations in New Jersey, there has been picketing in Brooklyn and Long Island in New York. In Missouri, St. Louis joined the strike on Sunday, and in Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh joined on Saturday and Philadelphia joined on Sunday.

Starbucks said it offers a benefits package unlike any other retailer, with an average pay above $18 an hour and $30 an hour for baristas working at least 20 hours weekly. However, the union claims that Starbucks management has backtracked on early progress since September, when Brian Niccol took on the role of CEO. The union filed a new unfair labor practice charge on Friday, alleging Starbucks “refused to bargain and engaged in bad faith bargaining” over economic issues. Starbucks said it cannot afford to meet the union’s wage demands, saying its proposals call for an immediate increase in the minimum wage of hourly partners by 64% and by 77% over the life of a three-year contract.

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