More than 1,000 Starbucks baristas walked off the job Thursday at 65 stores across the United States, striking on one of the coffee giant’s busiest days of the year to protest what they call stalled labor negotiations and unfair treatment.
According to The Associated Press, the strike, organized by Starbucks Workers United, was timed to disrupt the company’s annual Red Cup Day, when customers receive free reusable holiday cups with their drink purchases.
The union said stores in 45 cities — including New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Diego, Dallas, and Minneapolis — were affected, and more could join if talks with the company remain frozen.
“Some stores are already closed, and more will likely follow,” the union said in a statement Thursday morning.
The walkout marks the latest escalation in a years-long labor battle between Starbucks and its employees. Roughly 550 of the company’s 10,000 corporate-owned U.S. stores have unionized since 2021, when a store in Buffalo, New York, became the first to organize. But nearly three years later, workers say the company has refused to finalize a contract.
“I want Starbucks to succeed. My livelihood depends on it,” said Pittsburgh barista Dochi Spoltore. “We’re proud of our work, but we’re tired of being treated like we’re disposable.”
Workers are demanding better pay, more consistent scheduling, and improved staffing levels. Spoltore said many employees struggle to get the 20 hours per week needed to qualify for benefits, even though she earns just $16 an hour.
Starbucks insists it already offers one of the best compensation packages in retail, averaging $30 per hour in wages and benefits, according to the company.
Chief Partner Officer Sara Kelly said the union “walked away from the bargaining table” earlier this year and that Starbucks “remains ready to talk and believes we can move quickly to a reasonable deal.”
The union, however, accuses Starbucks of stalling and retaliating against organizing workers, citing hundreds of unfair labor practice complaints. Starbucks denies those claims.
This isn’t the first time baristas have targeted Red Cup Day. Workers also struck in 2022 and 2023, briefly closing dozens of stores nationwide.
Labor experts say the strikes, even if limited in scope, can have an outsized impact. “Retail depends on the relationship between workers and customers,” said Todd Vachon, a labor relations professor at Rutgers University. “Public pressure can be one of the union’s strongest tools.”
Despite the disruption, Starbucks said the “vast majority” of its 17,000 U.S. locations — including licensed stores in airports and grocery chains — remained open Thursday.
