Union Starbucks baristas strike in Seattle
Workers United began an open-ended labor strike to protest unfair labor practices beginning on Red Cup Day.
By Michaela Ely
Union Starbucks baristas have launched an unfair labor practice strike to protest Starbucks’ historic union busting and their failure to finalize a new and fair union contract. This strike is occurring at 65 stores in over 40 cities across the country, including Seattle and Redmond locations.?
Administrative Law Judges (ALJ) at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) released a broad cease and desist to Starbucks, rebuking them for their union busting practices. This came after Starbucks shift supervisor Hannah Whitbeck was fired, allegedly for leaving a barista alone in the store for about half an hour which was in violation of one of their company rules. However, Whitbeck was very involved in attempting to unionize her store which the NLRB determined to be the reason behind her termination.?
Starbucks has been criticized for several years for their union busting tactics, including but not limited to employee terminations, reducing hours and even closing unionized locations. Back in September, Starbucks announced that they were closing several locations, including the Reserve Roastery in the Capital Hill neighborhood of Seattle, which was one of the first unionized Starbucks locations in 2022.
There is no set end date to the strike at the moment, and union baristas are prepared to escalate the strike if their demands are not met.?
“If Starbucks keeps stonewalling a fair contract and refusing to end union-busting, they’ll see their business grind to a halt,” Starbucks Workers United spokesperson and 15 year veteran barista, Michelle Eisen said in a press release. “No contract, no coffee is more than a tagline—it’s a pledge to interrupt Starbucks’ operations and profits until a fair union contract and an end to unfair labor practices are won. Starbucks knows where we stand.”
Eisen continued by listing the issues they want resolved, namely more take-home pay, better hours and resolving legal issues. She stated that they are prepared to end the strike when a fair union contract is finalized. Starbucks Workers United and Starbucks are not currently engaged in negotiations for a new contract as Starbucks has refused to address these issues with the latest attempt at a union contract in April being rejected by union baristas.
“Starbucks’ latest economic offer is not good enough,” 3-year Starbucks barista and union bargaining delegate from Buffalo, NY Jasmine Leli said in a press release. “Baristas are the heart of Starbucks, and we know what we need to do our jobs well: wages that keep up with costs, better staffing, guaranteed hours, and the support only a union contract can provide.”
As of Nov. 10, 26 U.S. senators and 82 House representatives wrote to Starbucks CEO, Brian Nichols, urging him to reengage with Starbucks Workers United to deliver a fair union contract according to Reuters.
Seattle mayor-elect Katie Wilson has also taken a stand on this issue as she stood with the striking baristas on Nov. 13.?
“The baristas have shared that the best way to show our support is not to buy Starbucks in solidarity,” Wilson said as she took the stage at the strike. “Together, we can send a powerful message: no contract, no coffee.”
The strike will be an ongoing effort until the demands of the union baristas are met. To find more information about the demands of the baristas, visit the Starbucks Workers United website.
