Every year on November 16, Starbucks stores from around the country give away a free red cup with a purchase of a hand-crafted holiday drink. Services at some Starbucks locations could get impacted, though, as the Starbucks Workers Union has said that thousands of employees at hundreds of stores across the country will walk out on Red Cup Day in what is being called a “Red Cup Rebellion.”
According to a recent news release from the union on Monday, Starbucks workers will demand the company to “stop illegally refusing to bargain with baristas over staffing, scheduling and other issues.” The workers are striking today as it’s one of the most popular days of the year for them. Workers will also demand the stores turn off mobile ordering on future promotion days because of customer overflow.
Today’s strike was the fifth labor action by Starbucks workers since a store in New York became the first to unionize two years ago. Starbucks opposes the unionization effort and has yet to reach a labor agreement with any Starbucks stores that have voted to unionize. This process has been controversial, and regional offices with the National Labor Relations Board have issued around one hundred complaints against Starbucks for unfair labor practices. Starbucks says Workers United is refusing to schedule bargaining sessions.
Some members of the Parker community have noticed this strike. Sophomore Gabby Issacs shared her experience with the strike this morning on her way to school.
“I was just trying to get to the bus stop, but it was blocked by a CBS Chicago news bus,” she said. “The reporters were filming five or six Starbucks workers striking outside of the store with signs and telling pedestrians the store is closed.”
