Union Starbucks workers are voting to authorize a strike for better pay and hours, threatening to disrupt pumpkin spice latte season at dozens of stores nationwide.
Starbucks Workers United, the union representing more than 12,000 workers across 650 stores nationwide, is planning to picket and stage rallies outside 60 locations of the coffee chain this weekend.
Seventy rallies and pickets will take place from today through November 1, the union said.
Today the union will begin voting on a work strike authorization, stemming from demands for new contracts that address better staffing hours, higher pay, and “resolution for hundreds of outstanding unfair labor practice charges,” according to the union.
Starbucks has faced a myriad of challenges in the past year, including store closings, layoffs, and uniform changes that many employees seemed to hate.
All of this happened under the purview of Brian Niccol, who has been CEO of Starbucks since September 2024. Niccol implemented the “Back to Starbucks” plan, which encourages baristas to be warm and engaging with customers in a bid to turn Starbucks visits into a repeat occurrence.
Meanwhile, in September of this year, Niccol announced a $1 billion dollar restructuring plan which involves closing 500 of Starbucks retail stores—of which 59 are unionized.
When reached for comment, Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson had this to say: “Workers United only represents around 4% of our partners but chose to walk away from the bargaining table. If they’re ready to come back, we’re ready to talk. Any agreement needs to reflect the reality that Starbucks already offers the best job in retail including more than $30 an hour on average in pay and benefits for hourly partners. We’re investing over $500 million to put more partners in stores during busy times. The facts show people like working at Starbucks.”
Update: This story and headline have been updated to clarify that there are no work stoppages currently planned as part of this action.