Labor
Christmas without coffee? Starbucks employees on strike in LA, Chicago and Seattle - what are they demanding?
Starbucks union members are set to go on strike for five days beginning Friday, pressuring the coffee company to reach an agreement with them by Christmas.
The labor union representing more than 10,000 Starbucks baristas has announced workers will hold a strike in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle for five days beginning on Friday.
The Workers United union said it would step up the work stoppage each day, which could potentially affect hundreds of stores across the United States in the run-up to Christmas.
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Christmas without coffee? Starbucks employees on strike in LA, Chicago and Seattle - what are they demanding?
The workers’ union, which represents employees at 535 Starbucks locations in the country, is holding the strike to demand higher pay, increased staffing, and better schedules.
The union says workers will continue to escalate the strike unless labor and management are able to come up with a collective bargaining agreement.
Workers United says the coffee giant has failed to act on a commitment it made earlier this year to reach a labor agreement this year.
The organization is also demanding the resolution of legal matters including complaints of unfair labor practice filed by workers with the National labor Relations Board.
Starbucks said it is open to returning to the bargaining table and resuming negotiations to ratify a contract. The company claims the workers ended the talks prematurely this week. “We need the union to return to the table,” the chain said in a statement.
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