Starbucks Workers Union vote in favor of strike

NORTH AMERICA – The worker-led union of leading coffeehouse chain Starbucks Workers Union has announced its members voted on December 17 to authorize a strike against Starbucks agitating for better labor policies and practices.

The recent strike vote by Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) signaled the potential for escalated actions against Starbucks ahead of the final bargaining session scheduled for 2024.

While the vote did not set a specific strike date, it underscored unresolved disputes between the union and the coffee chain despite previous efforts to ease tensions.

According to the union, the company had yet to present a comprehensive economic package during negotiations. 

Both parties acknowledged progress on certain issues.

A Starbucks spokesperson stated in an email to media outlets that over eight multi-day bargaining sessions since April had resulted in agreements on approximately 30 topics, including several economic matters.

However, SBWU emphasized the persistence of significant challenges, pointing to unresolved unfair labor practices and over US$100 million in legal liabilities. 

Strike votes are commonly used by unions to highlight workers’ readiness to act and to exert pressure on employers for resolution.

SBWU reported that 98% of participating workers supported the strike authorization. However, the union did not disclose the overall voter turnout or how members were prepared for the vote. 

SBWU has expanded its network of unionized stores through one-day organizing campaigns initiated earlier this year.

According to the union, it now represents over 525 stores and approximately 11,000 employees.

This represents about 5.5% of Starbucks’ 201,000 hourly workers in its 10,000 U.S. company-operated stores, a slightly lower union density than the 6% average in the American private sector. 

The structure of a potential SBWU strike remains uncertain. Past strikes at Starbucks were primarily localized, ranging from a 64-day strike at a single Boston store in 2022 to one-day demonstrations aligned with company marketing events.

The largest previous action involved about 220 stores. In June 2023, between 150 and 180 locations participated in a strike authorization related to the removal of Pride decorations at certain stores. 

Starbucks has sustained significant brand damage in recent quarters, in part due to pricing and consumer boycotts over the chain’s lawsuit against SBWU for a pro-Palestinian tweet.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.