Thousands of Starbucks workers could be set to go on strike. Here’s what to know.
Thousands of Starbucks workers are currently in the process of voting on whether to go on strike next week.
The strike authorization vote started on Friday and will continue for several days, with Starbucks Workers United planning to announce the results after voting concludes. Workers represented by the union have previously organized two national strikes, the most recent one being in May to protest Starbucks’ new dress code. In December 2024, thousands of employees also walked off the job.
Alongside the voting process, the union is organizing a series of rallies and pickets over the weekend outside Starbucks stores in numerous U.S. cities.
Originating in Buffalo, New York, in 2021, Starbucks Workers United now represents 12,000 workers in around 550 Starbucks cafes nationwide.
A spokesperson for the union confirmed that contract negotiations between Starbucks and Workers United began in May 2024 but collapsed in December of the same year. Mediation took place in February, ending two months later with Workers United rejecting Starbucks’ contract proposal. While the union has secured 33 tentative agreements from Starbucks, they emphasize that the majority are noneconomic proposals.
The union spokesperson stated that negotiations have stalled because Starbucks has refused to present a new proposal that meets the workers’ demands.
On the other hand, Starbucks claims to have engaged in nearly 200 hours of negotiations but argues that Workers United only provided union members with an incomplete outline of single-store contracts to vote on.
“Workers United only represents around 4% of our partners but chose to walk away from the bargaining table,” said Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson in an email statement to CBS News. “If they’re ready to come back, we’re ready to talk.”
What workers are demanding
According to the union, the workers’ demands include increased hours, higher take-home pay, and a resolution from Starbucks regarding what the union refers to as “unfair labor practice charges” for union busting.
“Too many baristas still aren’t getting enough hours to pay the bills or meet the threshold for benefits,” the union stated on its website.
Starbucks Workers United has filed numerous unfair labor practice charges against Starbucks with the National Labor Relations Board, including over its dress code.
Although the union has not specified the exact pay increase they are seeking, Starbucks mentioned that employees currently receive $30 an hour in pay and benefits. Store managers, known as “coffeehouse leaders,” are salaried. The company asserts that nearly 85% of its employees work their preferred hours.
Limited impact of previous strikes
Susan Schurman, a distinguished professor at Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, highlighted that previous Workers United strikes have had a limited impact on persuading the company to return to the bargaining table.
“The basic problem is that not enough Starbucks stores are organized yet for a strike to significantly impact the company financially or in terms of publicity,” Schurman explained.
Recently, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol announced the closure of certain locations and the elimination of around 900 jobs. The closures affected 59 union stores, according to Starbucks Workers United.
In a letter to employees, Niccol characterized the decision to close stores as part of a “Back to Starbucks” plan, aimed at revitalizing sales and foot traffic at the chain’s coffee shops. The plan includes adding personalized touches to the customer store experience, such as handwritten notes on Starbucks cups.
Starbucks Workers United has openly questioned the effectiveness of Niccol’s strategy, while Starbucks has portrayed it as successful.
“The facts show that ‘Back to Starbucks’ is improving the experience for both customers and partners,” Anderson stated. “We’ve invested over $500 million to enhance our coffeehouse staffing, training, and support in addition to providing the best job in retail, with average pay and benefits exceeding $30 per hour for hourly partners.”
