Over 200 Starbucks locations across the United States were left short-staffed on Thursday as workers organized what has been classified as the largest strike in the last two years of efforts to unionize the company’s stores. The strike, called “Red Cup Rebellion,” was organized by the Union Workers United on a day when Starbucks traditionally gives away thousands of reusable cups to customers ordering Christmas drinks.
The union estimated that more than 5,000 workers participated in the strike, which marks the fifth major job action of Starbucks workers since a Buffalo, New York, store became the first to unionize in late 2021.
Some workers, like Juniper Schweitzer, who has been with Starbucks for 16 years, expressed their frustration, saying, “They have promised us the world and they have not kept it.” Frequent promotions like Red Cup Day mean more stress for workers, who struggle to keep up with virtual orders and increased workflow.
Despite the widespread strike, Starbucks reported that the strikes have had little impact on their sales. For the 2023 fiscal year, the company’s revenue increased by 12%, reaching a record $36 billion.
Starbucks stated that many of the striking stores remained open, staffed by supervisors, managers, and employees who chose not to participate in the strike or came from nearby branches to work overtime.
This labor activism at Starbucks comes amid a larger trend of worker strikes in the United States, which have also seen actions from Amazon workers, auto workers, and Hollywood screenwriters and actors.
At least 363 company-operated Starbucks stores in 41 states have voted to unionize since the end of 2021, marking a significant effort in the current period of labor activism. The company remains opposed to unionization and has yet to reach a labor agreement with any of the stores that have voted to unionize.
The strike at Starbucks reflects a broader trend of worker activism in the United States, with at least 457,000 workers participating in 315 strikes this year alone, according to Johnnie Kallas, director of the Labor Action Tracker project at Cornell University.
The impact of the strikes, along with the broader implications for worker rights, will continue to be monitored as the ongoing labor movement unfolds. With information from the Associated Press, developments in this story will continue to be tracked.