Starbucks baristas to strike in US, union says
A union representing over 11,000 Starbucks baristas in the U.S. has announced a five-day strike starting Friday morning, in response to ongoing disputes over pay and working conditions.
Workers United states that the walkouts will initially take place in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle, with the strike set to expand daily, impacting hundreds of stores by Christmas Eve unless an agreement is reached.
The union is demanding higher wages, improved staffing, and better scheduling for its workers.
In response to the strike notice, a Starbucks spokesperson said, “We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements. We need the union to return to the table.”
The company also pointed out that its average pay exceeds $18 (£14.40) an hour and that it provides “best-in-class benefits,” which combined, are valued at an average of $30 per hour for baristas working at least 20 hours per week.
Workers United represents employees across more than 500 stores in 45 states.
Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi, a Starbucks barista from Texas, said in a statement to the BBC, “It’s a last resort, but Starbucks has broken its promise to thousands of baristas and left us with no choice.”
The union has also criticized what it sees as a significant pay gap between its members and senior Starbucks executives, including CEO Brian Niccol.
His annual base pay is $1.6m. He could also get a performance-related bonus of as much as $7.2m and up to $23m a year of Starbucks shares.
Starbucks has previously defended the plan, saying that Mr Niccol was “one of the most effective leaders in our industry” and that his compensation was “tied directly to the company’s performance and the shared success of all our stakeholders”.
Mr Niccol joined the company in September after his predecessor Laxman Narasimhan stepped down less than two years in the role.
The world’s biggest coffee shop chain has seen flagging sales as it grappled with a backlash to price increases and boycotts sparked by the Israel-Gaza war.
The strike at Starbucks comes as one of the most powerful labour unions in the US is staging a protest against Amazon, aiming to put pressure on the technology giant as it rushes out packages in the final run-up to Christmas.
The Teamsters union said Amazon delivery drivers at seven facilities in the US had walked off the job on Thursday, after the company refused to negotiate with the union about a labour contract.
