Topline
One week into the Starbucks Workers United strike over unfair labor practices, union protests have expanded to 30 stores in 25 new cities, including disruptions at the company’s largest East Coast distribution facility in York, PA, bringing the total to 95 stores across 65 cities participating in the open-ended ULP strike.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 13: Starbucks workers walk a picket line as they go on strike outside a Starbucks store on November 13, 2025 in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough in New York City. According to the Starbucks Workers United (SWU), the union representing the workers, more than 1,000 Starbucks workers have gone on strike at about 65 stores across the country. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
SBW called a strike last Thursday, November 13, to coincide with the company’s ever-popular “Red Cup Day,” when it gives away free reusable red cups to kick off the holiday season.
Despite picket lines and widespread media coverage, Starbucks reported this year’s “Red Cup Day” was its biggest sales day ever in North America.
Last week’s “Red Cup Day” foot traffic surged 45% over the year’s daily average and was 3% higher than on “Red Cup Day” in 2024 and up 8% from 2023, according to Placer.ai.
Initially, over 60 of Starbucks’ 10,000+ company-owned stores were targeted for protests, disrupting service at only 49 stores.
Since then, 29 stores have reopened and many workers who initially went on strike have returned to work, according to Starbucks.
In escalating strike action, SWU reports that 2,000 union baristas are now on strike and five other Starbucks stores have filed for union elections.
Starbucks Workers United Contract Demands
Positioned as an unfair labor practice strike, the Starbucks Workers United claims it has been negotiating for more than 18 months to finalize a contract covering 9,500 unionized baristas in 550 stores. SWU is demanding that Starbucks provide baristas better hours to improve in-store staffing and grant higher take-home pay – in most states, baristas’ starting pay is $15.25 per hour, though the company claims it amounts to some $30 per hour in pay and benefits for baristas working 20 hours or more per week. The union also demands the company resolve some 650 outstanding ULP charges, including over 100 filed since January 2025. Amid accusations of union busting, the ULP charges relate to bad faith bargaining, retaliatory firings and discipline and unilateral policy changes, such as a new dress code policy that requires baristas to wear solid black tops and black, khaki, or blue denim bottoms to contrast with their Starbucks’ green aprons.
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamdanziger/2025/11/20/starbucks-red-cup-rebellion-strike-spreads-to-more-stores-cities-and-key-east-coast-hub/
