Starbucks employees launch five-day strike amid holiday season

Unionized Starbucks employees at a handful of stores nationwide on Friday began a five-day strike over the company's failure to make progress on contract negotiations with the union, despite the busy holiday season.

Starbucks Workers United said it was protesting because the company failed to "bring viable economic proposals to the bargaining table and to resolve hundreds of outstanding unfair labor practice charges," and failed to reach a labor agreement with them as promised this year.

The biggest sticking point has been on pay increases, where Starbucks has offered to give unionized baristas a 1.5% pay every year, even if non-union employees do not get a raise. But the union wants a 64% pay raise for hourly employees immediately and 77% over the next tree years, according to the Associated Press.

The strike has begun in 10 stores so far in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle. But the union warned that the number could surge to hundreds of locations by Christmas Eve next week. 

“We are aware of disruption at a small handful of stores, but the overwhelming majority of our U.S. stores remain open and serving customers as normal,” Starbucks said in a statement, adding that there has been "no significant impact" to store operations.

Starbucks also claimed that it was open to working with the union again to flesh out another deal, but that it needed the union to "return to the [negotiating] table."

The strike comes one day after the Teamsters Union began striking at seven Amazon facilities nationwide, alleging that the company disregarded a Dec. 15 deadline that the union had set for contract negotiations. Amazon said the strike will not affect holiday operations. 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.