Union says Starbucks baristas will strike in US
A union representing more than 11,000 Starbucks baristas in the US says its members will go on a five-day strike starting Friday morning in a dispute over pay and working conditions.
Workers United says there will be walkouts in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, with strike action taking place every day and reaching hundreds of stores by Christmas Eve unless a deal is reached with the coffee shop giant. It would have happened.
This follows calls by the union for Starbucks to increase wages and staffing, as well as implement better schedules for its employees.
A Starbucks spokesperson said in response to the strike announcement, “We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements. We need the union to return to the table.”
The company also highlighted that it offers an average wage of more than $18 (£14.40) an hour as well as “best-in-class benefits.”
“Overall, these prices average $30 an hour for baristas who work at least 20 hours per week,” it says.
Workers United says it represents workers in more than 500 stores in 45 US states.
“This is a last resort, but Starbucks has broken its promise to thousands of baristas and left us with no choice,” Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi, a Starbucks barista from Texas, said in a statement sent by the union to the BBC.
Workers United has highlighted what it sees as unfair pay disparity between its members and senior Starbucks owners. including chief executive Brian Nicol,
His annual base salary is $1.6m. He could also receive a performance-related bonus of up to $7.2m and Starbucks shares worth up to $23m a year.
Starbucks previously defended the plan, saying that Mr. Nichol was “one of the most effective leaders in our industry” and that his compensation was “directly tied to company performance and the shared success of all of our stakeholders”.
Mr. Nicol joined the company in September After his predecessor Lakshman Narasimhan stepped down in less than two years.
The world’s largest coffee shop chain sees a decline in sales As it grappled with price increases and a boycott response due to the Israel–Gaza war.
The strike at Starbucks is like this One of the most powerful labor unions in the US is protesting against AmazonWhich aims to put pressure on the technology giant as it launches the package in the final stages of Christmas.
Amazon delivery drivers at seven facilities in the U.S. walked off the job Thursday after the company refused to negotiate with the union about a labor contract, the Teamsters union said.
