"No coffee, no contract": Starbucks workers' union goes on strike in US cities as talks hit impasse

Record ID: 1892313

  • Title: "No coffee, no contract": Starbucks workers' union goes on strike in US cities as talks hit impasse
  • Date: 20th December 2024
  • Summary: BURBANK, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 20, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF STRIKING STARBUCKS EMPLOYEES ON PICKET LINE CHANTING "NO COFFEE, NO CONTRACT" OUTSIDE STARBUCKS STORE STARBUCKS/PAN TO EMPLOYEES MARCHING VARIOUS OF STRIKING EMPLOYEES PICKETING OUTSIDE STARBUCKS (SOUNDBITE) (English) STARBUCKS EMPLOYEE, NAOMI MARTINEZ, SAYING: "Starbucks workers are on strike toda
  • Embargoed: 3rd January 2025 21:03
  • Keywords: California Starbucks Strike
  • Location: BURBANK, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: BURBANK, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Company News Markets,Economic Events,North America
  • Reuters ID: LVA001870720122024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Some members of the workers' union representing more than 10,000 baristas at Starbucks began a five-day strike at stores in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle starting Friday (December 20), citing unresolved issues over wages, staffing and schedules.
    This is the latest in a series of labor actions that have picked up pace across service industries following a period when workers at manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace and rail industries won substantial concessions from employers.
    At Starbucks, the Workers United union, which represents employees at 525 stores across the U.S., said late on Thursday (December 19) that walkouts would escalate daily, and could reach "hundreds of stores" nationwide by Christmas Eve.
    "It's estimated that 10 stores out of 10,000 company-operated stores did not open today," Starbucks said, adding that there was no significant impact to store operations on Friday.
    In southern California, around 30 people joined a picket line at a Starbucks in Burbank, with striking workers chanting: "No Coffee, no contract."
    "Our hope is that this will, they will come back to the bargaining table and they will give us livable wages so that we can afford to pay our rent. We can afford our groceries. We can afford to live because right now we're struggling," said Kai Krawczeniuk, a 30-year-old Starbucks employee.
    Negotiations between the company and Workers United began in April, based on an established framework agreed upon in February, which could also help resolve numerous pending legal disputes.
    The company said on Thursday it has held more than nine bargaining sessions with the union since April, and reached more than 30 agreements on "hundreds of topics," including economic issues.
    The Seattle-headquartered firm said it is ready to continue negotiations, claiming the union delegates prematurely ended the bargaining session this week.
    The union, however, said in a Facebook post on Friday that Starbucks had yet to present a serious economic proposal with less than two weeks remaining until the year-end contract deadline.
    The workers' group also snubbed an offer of no immediate wage hike and a guarantee of a 1.5% increase in future years.
    "Workers United 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. This is not sustainable," Starbucks said on Friday.
    Hundreds of complaints have been filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), accusing Starbucks of unlawful labor practices such as firing union supporters and closing stores during labor campaigns. Starbucks has denied wrongdoing and said it respects the right of workers to choose whether to unionize.
    Last month, the NLRB said that Starbucks broke the law by telling workers at its flagship Seattle cafe that they would lose benefits if they joined a union.
    The coffee chain is undergoing a turnaround under its newly appointed top boss, Brian Niccol, who aims to restore "coffee house culture" by overhauling cafes and simplifying its menu among other measures.
    The union has called for support at the picket lines in the three cities starting at around 1800 GMT, according to a post on X.
    The Starbucks workers' strike comes in the same week as Amazon.comAMZN.O workers at seven U.S. facilities walking off the job on Thursday, during the holiday shopping rush.
    There were 33 work stoppages in 2023, the most since 2000, though far lower than in past decades, data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed.
    (Production: Sandra Stojanovic, Omar Younis)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register