The Red Cup Rebellion Continues
To protest alleged union busting and the breakdown of contract negotiations, Starbucks Workers United launched a nationwide strike on Thursday, Nov. 13.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Starbucks workers kicked off a national strike campaign during the company’s busy “Red Cup Day” on Thursday, Nov. 13, citing a lack of progress in contract negotiations.
The Starbucks at 11302 Euclid Ave. is the only Greater Cleveland location on strike, but unionized baristas are not alone. Starbucks Workers United is continuing unfair labor practice (ULP) strikes at 65 to 70 stores nationwide and has pledged to turn “Red Cup Season into the Red Cup Rebellion.”
Baristas say they are striking over a growing list of unresolved unfair labor practices that Starbucks has allegedly committed. Despite earlier promises to return to the bargaining table, the company has not resumed negotiations.
Unionized workers say three major issues remain unaddressed:
Demands for stabilized working hours and increased staffing levels. Many stores are understaffed, which workers say leads to long wait times and chaotic conditions.
Higher take-home pay. While Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol made $100 million in his first four months, baristas say their average annual pay of about $31,683 leaves them struggling to make ends meet.
Resolution of outstanding ULP charges. The NLRB alleges Starbucks has fired union supporters, closed pro-union stores, and failed to bargain in good faith. Administrative judges have found the company responsible for more than 400 labor law violations, most tied to Starbucks Workers United cases.
Starbucks maintains that it has not walked away from negotiations and instead blames the union for delays. According to Olivera Perkins of Signal Cleveland, the company says it offers “the best job in retail,” citing an average of $30 an hour in combined pay and benefits and more than 1 million job applications each year.
Despite those claims, baristas in Greater Cleveland take home an average of about $31,683 annually.
While both sides accuse each other of bargaining in bad faith, Starbucks Workers United continues to advocate on behalf of fair labor practices. The union says it hopes the company will return to the bargaining table to resolve the union’s remaining issues and finalize its first contract.
The wage gap between what workers actually earn and what managment takes home is staggering. When the CEO makes $100M in four months while baristas struggle on $31k annualy, thats not just about numbers, it's about valuing the people who actully make the business run. If Starbucks really belives it offers the best job in retail, they need to show it through real action at the bargaining table.