Starbucks workers strike at about 100 stores on Red Cup Day

New York
CNN Business
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More than 2,000 employees at 112 Starbucks locations are set to go on a one-day strike Thursday, according to the union that organized the stores for the past year.

The union says it is on strike to protest the retaliation that has been taken against union supporters across the country. It is also protesting against what it described as the company’s refusal to bargain with the union over the first business deal. There are 264 stores that voted in favor of union representation. But no contracts have been negotiated yet even in stores that voted nearly a year ago.

“It shows them we’re not playing games,” said Tyler Keeling, a 26-year-old union supporter who has worked at a Starbucks in Lakewood, California — near Los Angeles — for the past six years. “We are done with their anti-union vengeance and their uncompromising disengagement.”

Keeling and other union supporters say it is up to each store as to whether or not to take part in the nationwide strike. Many stores organized Short strokes already on specific issues. But this is the first national action.

“There is a lot of fear before the shop decides to go on strike,” he said. Michel Eisenone of the organizers The first Starbucks to vote for the union last December. “Starbucks has been retaliating against union leaders across the country. But despite that fear, more than 2,000 workers across the country are striking today and defending each other.”

When the Keeling store staged a one-day strike in August, Starbucks

(SBUX) He said workers from nearby non-union stores joined the picket line, and some customers brought food and drink to the strikers.

It is not clear how many stores affected by Thursday’s actions will be able to stay open during the strike.

protest comes inred cupA day at Starbucks, when it comes out Reusable holiday cups Certain beverage purchases give customers discounts and bonus points on future purchases.

“Red Cup Day is culturally an important day at Starbucks. Organizing a strike on a day with a large number of customers is a great way to draw attention to anti-union activities,” Keeling said.

The union is calling its strike the “Red Cup Rebellion” and is distributing Starbucks union red cups to customers instead.

In a store across from the Port Authority bus terminal in New York City, workers walked the picket line even though their store did not have a union vote until December 8 the store was open, with the help of managers brought in from others. stores, according to the strikers. Store workers did not comment on the strike.

Aaron Cirillo, 23, who has been working at the store since August, said he’s not discouraged by the fact that the store was able to stay open or that many customers crossed the picket line.

We are not trying to intimidate them. We just want them to hear our story about the need for a fair contract.” When asked what he would tell customers if he could, he replied, “I would urge them to consider showing support by not getting coffee one day, or going to any other store in town for coffee.”

The strikers’ cheers were enough to prompt some customers to turn away, but there was a good flow of customers into the store.

The company could not immediately be reached for comment on the strike early on Thursday. It denied in the past that it took revenge on any employee for supporting the union, and blamed the union for the lack of progress at the negotiating table. Starbucks has defended the unionization firings that occurred as adequate enforcement of rules that apply to all of its employees, whom it refers to as “associates.”

“Concern for the union does not absolve partners from following policies and procedures that apply to all partners,” Starbucks said in a previous statement.

But this week, the National Labor Relations Board — which oversees union representation votes — filed in federal court for a national cease and desist order to prevent Starbucks from retaliating against union supporters.

The NLRB filing said there had been “a number and pattern of Starbucks’ unfair labor practices…particularly the discharges” against union supporters in its stores.