Starbucks faced "brewing" tensions amid holiday rush | HS Insider
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Starbucks baristas across the U.S. are on a holiday strike as frustrations mount over unfulfilled promises.
Thousands of Starbucks baristas were brewing up a strike right before the holidays.
Walkouts began in Starbucks stores around Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle on Friday, Dec. 20th. More than 5,000 Starbucks baristas took part in the walkout, which spread to more than 300 locations in significant American cities.
The main reason for the strike was attributed to the frustration with the company’s lack of progress in negotiations. According to Starbucks Workers United, the union representing Starbucks employees, the most common concerns in Starbucks stores were pay, staffing and scheduling. Laxman Narasimhan, the former CEO of Starbucks, promised earlier in 2024 to negotiate with the union to reach an agreement, but he hadn’t followed through on this pledge.
The strike had been planned to coincide with the few days before Christmas, which is one of Starbucks’ busiest times. For Starbucks, the holiday rush makes up a large amount of its annual revenue — up to 12% according to previous years.
However, according to a statement by Starbucks, the vast majority of stores remained open. “We expect very limited impact to our overall operations,” said Sara Kelly, the company’s executive vice president.
In the same statement, the company explained how the union turned away from bargaining opportunities. “We are ready to continue negotiations when the union comes back to the bargaining table,” Kelly said.
The union disagreed. It claimed that the economic package proposed by the company offered no new wage increases and minimal mobility in future years. The employees were determined to keep fighting until a serious economic offer was presented, the union wrote on X. “Starbucks should know: This is just the beginning.”
Starbucks builds itself as a company committed to providing a positive, welcoming and safe work environment for their employees. According to a statement by the company, its employees receive competitive average pay and benefits that include health care, free college tuition and paid family leave. Yet, the strike reveals inner turmoil and dissatisfaction with what the company claims to achieve.
“We’re coming together to build a better Starbucks for all of us,” Starbucks Workers United wrote. “We want Starbucks to live up to what it claims to be.”
