"We're protesting Starbucks' historic union busting and failure to finalize a fair contract," Starbucks workers said
Albany Times Union/Hearst Newspapers / Contributor / Getty Images
Starbucks Workers United is on the sixteenth day of its walkout, which kicked off on Starbucks' Red Cup Day earlier this month. It is now the longest strike in the organization's history.
"We're protesting Starbucks' historic union busting and failure to finalize a fair contract," the union wrote on X $TWTR. "Our contract fight is about actually making Starbucks jobs the best jobs in retail. A fair union contract is critical to the company’s turnaround." It added, "Starbucks is failing baristas and customers alike."
Starbucks did not immediately return a request for comment Friday, but told Reuters that 99% of its stores are still open and operational.
"Regardless of the union's plans, we do not anticipate any meaningful disruption. When the union is ready to return to the bargaining table, we're ready to talk," a spokesperson said.
Workers have been fighting to secure what they deem a fair contract for years now, and negotiations between the union and the coffee giant have stalled.
The union has tended to stage actions on big days for the brand, like Red Cup Day, or today on Black Friday, when it anticipates shoppers will be out in full force.
The action comes as Starbucks, which has more than 17,000 stores in the U.S., says its turnaround is starting to work — despite investor caution.
Starbucks has struggled with growth over the past few years, wooing former Chipotle $CMG CEO Brian Niccol with a massive compensation package, hoping he could right the ship. Since Niccol started in 2024, he's laid off thousands of retail and corporate workers and closed more than 600 stores.
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