(This Dec. 21 story has been corrected to remove the word “contract” in paragraph 14)
By Savyata Mishra, Gursimran Mehar and Renee Hickman
(Reuters) – Some members of the Starbucks (NASDAQ:) workers’ union, which represents more than 10,000 baristas, quit their jobs in several U.S. cities on Friday, citing unresolved issues over wages, staffing and work schedules.
The five-day strike, which began Friday and closed Starbucks cafes in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, will extend to Columbus (WA:), Denver and Pittsburgh through Saturday, the union said in a statement.
This is the latest in a series of labor actions that have accelerated in the services sector following a period in which workers at manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace and rail industries received significant concessions from employers.
At Starbucks, the Workers United union, which represents workers at 525 U.S. stores, said late Thursday that strikes would escalate daily and could reach “hundreds of stores” nationwide by Christmas Eve.
“It is estimated that 10 of the 10,000 company-owned stores are not open today,” Starbucks said, adding that there was no significant impact on store operations on Friday.
About two dozen people joined a picket line at a Starbucks location on Chicago’s North Side, buffeted by snow and wind but cheering in response to the honking horns of passing cars.
A few confused customers tried to walk into the closed store before the strikers started chanting, but union member Shep Searl said the response was mostly positive.
Searl said that 100% of unionized workers at the Starbucks location in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood participated in the strike, and that workers say they have been subjected to numerous unfair labor practices, including criticism, gatherings in front of captive audiences and fired. .
The union member said they made about $21 an hour, adding, “That would have been a great wage in 2013.”
It’s an inadequate wage, the baristas said, given inflation and the high cost of living in a big city, especially because they rarely get 40-hour weeks.
EMPLOYEE SNUB OFFER
Negotiations between the company and Workers United began in April, based on a set framework agreed in February that could also help resolve numerous pending legal disputes.
The company said Thursday that it has held more than nine bargaining sessions with the union since April and reached more than 30 agreements on “hundreds of topics,” including economic issues.
The Seattle-based company said it was willing to continue negotiations, claiming that union representatives prematurely ended the bargaining session this week.
However, the union said in a Facebook post on Friday (NASDAQ:) that Starbucks had not yet presented a serious economic proposal with less than two weeks to go before its year-end deadline.
The workers’ group also turned down an offer of no immediate wage increase and a guarantee of a 1.5% increase in coming years.
“Workers United’s proposals call for an immediate increase in the minimum wage of hourly partners by 64%, and by 77% over the life of a three-year contract. This is not sustainable,” Starbucks said on Friday.
In response to Starbucks’ statement on the proposals, Michelle Eisen, a barista and negotiating representative for Starbucks, said: “Starbucks’ characterization of our proposals is misleading and they know it. We are ready to finalize a framework that will allow new investments in baristas.” the first year of the contract.”
In addition, the baristas’ union said Friday it had filed a new labor practices complaint against the coffeehouse, alleging that Starbucks “refused to bargain and negotiated in bad faith” on economic issues.
Hundreds of complaints have been filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), accusing Starbucks of unlawful labor practices, such as firing union supporters and closing stores during labor campaigns. Starbucks has denied wrongdoing and said it respects employees’ right to choose whether to join a union.
WORKING ON TURNOVER
Last month, the NLRB said Starbucks broke the law by telling workers at its flagship cafe in Seattle that they would lose their benefits if they joined a union.
“The strike comes during one of the busiest times of the year for Starbucks, which could increase its impact while also generating unwanted public scrutiny over the company’s labor practices,” said Emarketer analyst Rachel Wolff.
The coffee chain is working on a turnaround under newly appointed top boss Brian Niccol, who aims to restore the ‘coffee house culture’ by, among other things, renewing cafes and simplifying the menu.
“Given how much Starbucks is already struggling to win over customers, it cannot afford any negative publicity – or impact on sales – that the strike could bring,” Wolff said.
The workers’ strike at Starbucks comes the same week as Amazon.com (NASDAQ:) workers at seven U.S. factories walked off their jobs on Thursday amid the Christmas shopping rush.
There were 33 work stoppages in 2023, the most since 2000 but far fewer than in recent decades, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
