A union representing more than 11,000 Starbucks baristas in the United States announced that its members would stage a five-day strike starting Friday morning, amid a dispute over wages and working conditions.
Workers United says walkouts will take place in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, and the strike is expected to expand each day and reach hundreds of stores by Christmas Eve unless a deal is reached with the coffee giant.
It follows the union calling on Starbucks to increase wages and staffing levels, as well as implement better hours for its workers.
“We are prepared to continue negotiations to reach agreements. We need the union to return to the table,” a Starbucks spokesperson said in response to the strike announcement.
The company also highlighted that it offers an average wage of over $18 (£14.40) an hour, as well as “best in class benefits”.
“In total, they average $30 an hour for baristas who work at least 20 hours a week,” he says.
Workers United says it represents workers at more than 500 stores across 45 U.S. states.
“This is a last resort, but Starbucks has broken its promise to thousands of baristas and left us no choice,” Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi, a Starbucks barista from Texas, said in a statement sent to the BBC by the union.
Workers United has highlighted what it sees as an unfair pay disparity between its members and top Starbucks bosses, including CEO Brian Niccol.
His annual base salary is $1.6 million. He could also receive a performance-related bonus of up to $7.2 million and up to $23 million per year in Starbucks stock.
Starbucks previously defended the plan, saying Mr. Niccol was “one of the most effective leaders in our industry” and that his compensation was “directly tied to the performance of the company and the shared success of all our stakeholders.” .
Mr. Niccol joined the company in September after his predecessor Laxman Narasimhan left the role less than two years ago.
The world's largest coffee chain saw sales weaken as it grappled with the fallout from price hikes and boycotts sparked by the war between Israel and Gaza.
The strike at Starbucks comes as one of the most powerful unions in the United States stages a protest against Amazon, aiming to pressure the tech giant as it rushes to distribute packages to the approaching Christmas.
The Teamsters union said Amazon delivery drivers at seven U.S. factories walked off the job Thursday after the company refused to negotiate a labor contract with the union.
