Starbucks workers’ union strikes across US as talks hit impasse

Some members of the Starbucks workers’ union that represents more than 10,000 baristas walked off their jobs in multiple US cities, citing unresolved issues over wages, staffing and schedules.

The five-day strike, which began on Friday and closed Starbucks cafes in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, will expand to Columbus, Denver, and Pittsburgh through Saturday, the union said in a statement.

This is the latest in a series of labour actions that have picked up pace across service industries following a period when workers at manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace and rail industries won substantial concessions from employers.

At Starbucks, the Workers United union, which represents employees at 525 stores across the US, said late on Thursday that walkouts would escalate daily, and could reach “hundreds of stores” nationwide by Christmas Eve.

“It’s estimated that 10 stores out of 10,000 company-operated stores did not open today,” Starbucks said, adding that there was no significant impact to store operations on Friday.

Around 20 people joined a picket line at a Starbucks location on Chicago’s north side, buffeted by snow and wind, but cheering in response to the honking horns of passing cars. A few confused customers tried to walk into the closed store before strikers began chanting, but union member Shep Searl said the reaction had been mostly positive.

Searl said 100% of the unionized workers at the Starbucks location in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood were participating in the strike, and according to the workers, they have been subject to numerous unfair labour practices including write-ups, “captive-audience” meetings and firings.

The union member said they made about $21 an hour and added, “that would have been a great wage in 2013”.

It is an inadequate wage, the baristas said, given inflation and the high cost of living in a large city, especially since they rarely get 40-hour work weeks.

 Negotiations between the company and Workers United began in April, based on an established framework agreed upon in February, which could also help resolve numerous pending legal disputes. The company said on Thursday it has held more than nine bargaining sessions with the union since April, and reached more than 30 agreements on “hundreds of topics”, including economic issues.

The Seattle-headquartered firm said it is ready to continue negotiations, claiming the union delegates prematurely ended the bargaining session this week.

The union, however, said in a Facebook post on Friday that Starbucks had yet to present a serious economic proposal with less than two weeks remaining until the year-end contract deadline.