Starbucks union to strike at 113 locations on Red Cup Day after contract talks break down

Workers astatine much than 100 unionized Starbucks locations program to onslaught connected Thursday, 1 of the chain's biggest income days of the year.

To observe the vacation season, Starbucks each twelvemonth gives distant reusable reddish cups bearing the company's logo with immoderate purchase. The giveaway connected the java chain's Red Cup Day has go a must-have for collectors, and this year's lawsuit marks its 25th anniversary.

On Thursday, organizers astatine 113 striking locations are readying to protestation and administer a mentation of the reddish cupful featuring the Grinch's manus holding an ornament with the logo of the Starbucks union.  The actions are expected to impact store operations for astatine slightest portion of the day.

It's the largest corporate enactment Starbucks Workers United has taken truthful acold successful its organizing propulsion implicit the past year.

The national said the onslaught is meant to telephone attraction to the company's alleged national busting and refusal to negociate contracts fairly. Starbucks has denied each allegations of unfair labour practices.

Over the past 12 months, astir 260 company-owned Starbucks locations person voted to unionize nether Workers United, an affiliate of Service Employees International Union. That's a tiny fraction of the chain's astir 9,000 company-operated locations successful the U.S., but the national propulsion has made a splash and inspired akin actions by workers astatine Trader Joe's and Chipotle Mexican Grill.

The fig of caller cafes that person filed for national elections has slowed successful caller months, but if a declaration statement were to hap it could springiness the question a boost.

In precocious September, Starbucks sent letters to much than 200 locations saying that it was acceptable to commencement declaration negotiations. But Starbucks Workers United contend the institution hasn't been bargaining successful bully faith.

Talks betwixt the 2 sides broke down rapidly owed to disagreements implicit whether national members tin articulation the talks via Zoom. Representatives from Starbucks person walked retired of meetings minutes aft they begin, insisting connected lone face-to-face negotiations, citing national regulations.

"Broadcasting oregon signaling these in-person sessions is profoundly concerning and undermines the interests of our partners due to the fact that negotiations whitethorn warrant the treatment of individuals by sanction and are apt to code a scope of delicate topics," Starbucks said connected a blog post connected its anti-union website.

The institution has filed 22 complaints tied to negotiations with the National Labor Relations Board.

On Tuesday, the national labour committee filed for an injunction, asking that a tribunal bid the institution to halt firing workers nationwide.