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Starbucks union authorizes open-ended strike as holiday season begins
Starbucks baristas gather outside a Starbucks store as they protest against the company during a rally to demand a new contract in New York City, on October 28, 2025. The Starbucks Workers United is fighting for a new contract that delivers improved staffing hours, take-home pay, and on-the-job protections for baristas. (Photo by TIMOTHY A.CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A.CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
Timothy A.clary | Afp | Getty Images
Starbucks Workers United has authorized an open-ended strike that could begin on Red Cup Day, one of the coffee chain’s biggest sales days of the year, the union announced on Wednesday.
The union is preparing to strike in more than 25 cities if it doesn’t reach a collective bargaining agreement with Starbucks by Nov. 13, when Red Cup Day falls this year. The two parties have not been in active negotiations to reach a contract after talks between them fell apart late last year. Starbucks and the union entered into mediation in February, and hundreds of barista delegates voted down the economic package Starbucks proposed in April.
The strike authorization won 92% of votes, according to Starbucks Workers United.
The union is pushing for improved hours, higher wages and the resolution of hundreds of unfair labor practice charges levied against Starbucks.
The strike would clash with Starbucks’ annual giveaway of reusable red cups bearing the company’s logo with any purchase. The freebie has become a collector’s item for the coffee giant’s biggest fans.
Without an end date in sight, the strike would also disrupt Starbucks’ broader holiday season, which falls during the company’s fiscal first quarter and is one of the busiest times of the year for the coffee chain. Customers flock to its cafes for seasonal drinks like its peppermint mocha, along with gift cards and other merchandise.
Workers United, which began organizing at Starbucks in 2021, says it now represents over 12,000 workers across more than 650 stores. (The company told CNBC that the union only represents workers at 550 cafes, accounting for some store closures over time.)
In a statement, Starbucks said it will be ready to serve customers across its nearly 18,000 company-operated and licensed stores this holiday season.
“We are disappointed that Workers United, who only represents around 4% of our partners, has voted to authorize a strike instead of returning to the bargaining table. When they’re ready to come back, we’re ready to talk,” Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said.
Starbucks said any agreement with the union needs to reflect the reality that it “already offers the best job in retail, including more than $30 an hour on average in pay and benefits for hourly partners. The facts show people like working at Starbucks. Partner engagement is up, turnover is nearly half the industry average, and we get more than 1 million job applications a year.”
The company is in the midst of a turnaround plan under new CEO Brian Niccol, dubbed “Back to Starbucks,” that has begun to show momentum. Starbucks reported in its fiscal fourth quarter that its same-store sales returned to growth for the first time in nearly two years. The coffee chain’s global same-store sales rose 1%, lifted by international markets. Its U.S. same-store sales were flat for the quarter but turned positive in September.
Starbucks also announced a $1 billion restructuring plan in September that involves closing some 500 of its North American stores, according to analyst estimates, and laying off 900 workers in non-retail roles.
