Nationwide – Over one thousand union baristas launched a “Red Cup Rebellion” unfair labor practice strike Thursday November 13th that continues.
Workers are protesting Starbucks’ union busting and failure to finalize a fair union contract. The open-ended strike begins with 65 stores across 40+ cities and comes after six months of Starbucks refusing to offer new proposals to address workers’ demands for better staffing, higher pay, and resolution of hundreds of unfair labor practice charges.
“We’re turning the Red Cup Season into the Red Cup Rebellion. Starbucks’ refusal to settle a fair union contract and end union busting is forcing us to take drastic action,” said Dachi Spoltore, a barista of 5 years from the Amos Hall location in Pittsburgh, PA who walked out on strike. “We’re striking for a fair union contract, resolution of unfair labor practices, and a better future at Starbucks. For every one barista on strike, dozens more allies and customers have pledged to honor the picket line and not buy Starbucks while we’re on strike.”
With no set end date to the strike, baristas across more than 550 current union stores are prepared to continue escalating to make this the largest, longest strike in company history if Starbucks fails to deliver a fair union contract and resolve unfair labor practice charges.
“If Starbucks keeps stonewalling a fair contract and refusing to end union-busting, they’ll see their business grind to a halt,” said Michelle Eisen, Starbucks Workers United spokesperson and 15 year veteran barista. “No contract, no coffee is more than a tagline—it’s a pledge to interrupt Starbucks’ operations and profits until a fair union contract and an end to unfair labor practices are won. Starbucks knows where we stand. We’ve been clear and consistent on what baristas need to succeed: more take-home pay, better hours, resolving legal issues. Bring us NEW proposals that address these issues so we can finalize a contract. Until then, you’ll see us and our allies on the picket line.”
Union stores in the following cities began an open-ended unfair labor practice strike on Thursday: Anaheim, CA; Long Beach, CA; San Diego, CA; Santa Clarita, CA; Santa Cruz, CA; Scotts Valley, CA; Seal Beach, CA; Soquel, CA; Colorado Springs, CO; Lafayette, CO; Alpharetta, GA; Roswell, GA; Des Plaines, IL; Evanston, IL; Geneva, IL; Chanhassen, MN; Minneapolis, MN; Saint Louis, MO; Brooklyn, NY; New York, NY; Columbus, OH; Lewis Center, OH; Reynoldsburg, OH; Upper Arlington, OH; Worthington, OH; Beaverton, OR; Damascus, OR; Eugene, OR; Gresham, OR; Portland, OR; Dickson City, PA; Lancaster, PA; Philadelphia, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; Austin TX; Dallas, TX; Denton, TX; Farmers Branch, TX; Mechanicsville, VA; Richmond, VA; Redmond, WA; and Seattle, WA.
Starbucks’ failure to listen to and support their own baristas has forced them to strike over unfair labor practices. Starbucks is the biggest violator of labor law in modern history as Administrative Law Judges (ALJ) at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) have found that Starbucks has committed more than 400 labor law violations.
