Starbucks employees gear up for three-day walkout at 100 US stores

Starbucks workers around the USare gearing up for a three-day walkout that will start on Friday as part of their effortto unionise the coffee chain's stores. Over 1,000 baristas at 100 outlets, according to Starbucks Workers United, the labour union leading the operation, plan to strike. The longest strike of the one-year unionisation effort will occur this week. The second large strike by Starbucks USemployees in the past month. On 17 November, 110 Starbucks workers went on a one-day strike. The company's annual Red Cup Day, when it provides reusable cups to customers who order holiday drinks, coincided with that campaign.

More than 264 of Starbucks’ 9,000 company-run USstores have been planningto unionise since late 2021.Starbucks condemnsthe unionization effort, saying the company functions better when it works directly with employees, without a union.But the company said last month that it respects employees’ lawful right to protest.

The company's first unionised location in Seattle, according to Workers United, was just shut down by Starbucks. According to Starbucks, the location was shut down for security concerns. About 50 outlets have started contract negotiations between Starbucks and the union, but no agreements have been reached.

It has been a controversial procedure. Since late last year, Workers United has filed at least 446 allegations of unfair labour practises against Starbucks with the National Labour Relations Board, alleging among other things that the business fired labour organisers and refused to engage in negotiations. The union has been accused of violating negotiation guidelines by taping sessions and posting the tapes online, according to the company, which has filed 47 complaints against the union.

So far, the labour protestshaven’t appeared to diminishStarbucks’ sales. Starbucks said in November that its revenue increased3 per centto a record $8.41 billion in the July-September months.

(With inputs from agencies)

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