Starbucks Strike Hits 65 U.S. Stores on Red Cup Day

On Thursday, more than 1,000 unionized Starbucks workers walked off the job at 65 stores in over 40 U.S. cities during the chain’s annual Red Cup Day promotion, the union said. The action, organized by Starbucks Workers United, was designed to press the company for better hours, higher pay and the resolution of hundreds of unfair-labor-practice charges. The union said it is prepared to escalate if bargaining does not produce a satisfactory contract, while Starbucks said it remained committed to bargaining and urged workers to return to talks.

Key Takeaways

• About 1,000 workers at 65 locations in more than 40 cities participated in the Thursday walkouts, timed with Starbucks’ Red Cup Day promotion.
• Starbucks Workers United represents over 12,000 baristas at more than 600 unionized stores and authorized the strike with 92% support in a recent vote.
• The union says workers seek better scheduling, pay increases and resolution of “hundreds” of unfair-labor-practice complaints filed against the company.
• This was the second Red Cup Day strike in under three years; previous mass actions include a December strike of more than 5,000 workers that lasted five days.
• Over 100 federal lawmakers, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker, sent letters to CEO Brian Niccol pressing Starbucks to negotiate a fair contract.
• Starbucks has publicly said it remains willing to negotiate and believes both sides could move quickly if unionized employees return to bargaining.

Background

The current campaign builds on a multi-year organizing wave among Starbucks employees that has produced over 600 unionized locations and more than 12,000 represented workers nationwide. Much of the union’s leverage has come from high-profile, coordinated actions timed to company promotions such as Red Cup Day, spotlighting operations and customer-facing impact. Negotiations between Starbucks and the union have been contentious; union leaders and many workers say bargaining stalled over core economic proposals, while the company says it is committed to negotiating in good faith.

Walkouts and protests have been a recurring feature: large strikes in December 2024 involved more than 5,000 baristas across hundreds of stores and lasted five days after talks failed to yield a substantial wage increase. In May, employees staged walkouts over a dress-code change the union said should have been bargained. The current pattern reflects a broader U.S. labor environment where organized retail and service workers have pushed for stronger contracts and scheduling protections since 2021.

Main Event

On Thursday morning, picket lines and demonstrations appeared outside dozens of Starbucks locations as customers sought the chain’s seasonal beverages and the bright-red reusable cups distributed on Red Cup Day. Union organizers described the action as the “Red Cup Rebellion,” pairing in-store walkouts with rallies in 17 cities. Stores affected ranged across regions, and union statements emphasized both the geographic breadth and the symbolic timing of the protests.

Starbucks Workers United said the strike involved roughly 1,000 employees at 65 stores in over 40 cities and that the union had authorized the action after a vote in which 92% of participating baristas supported job action. The union framed the stoppage as a response to what it called company stonewalling on pay, hours and labor-practice complaints. Organizers also warned the strike could escalate if bargaining did not produce a new agreement addressing those demands.

Starbucks issued a short statement after the authorization and again after the walkouts, saying its commitment to bargaining had not changed and that it believed both sides could move quickly toward a contract if unionized employees returned to the table. The company did not, in its public remarks, offer new monetary proposals tied to the latest action. Meanwhile, the union continued to press its case through public rallies and outreach to sympathetic lawmakers.

Analysis & Implications

The Thursday strikes are notable both for timing and scale. By targeting a major promotional day, the union sought maximum visibility and pressure on company leadership and investors. While the immediate financial impact on Starbucks’ revenues for a single promotional day is likely limited, the reputational and operational signals — slow service, closed registers, media coverage — can amplify bargaining leverage over time.

Politically, the intervention of more than 100 federal lawmakers, including prominent progressive senators, elevates the dispute beyond a private labor negotiation into a public policy conversation about corporate bargaining behavior and worker protections. Those letters underscore growing congressional attention to large employers’ labor practices, which may shape future legislative or regulatory scrutiny even if they do not directly change bargaining dynamics.

Economically, the union’s demands — scheduling stability, higher pay and remedies for alleged unfair practices — mirror broader service-sector organizing priorities. If the union secures concessions at scale, that could set precedents for pay and scheduling across similar chains and increase labor costs; if management resists successfully, organizers may pivot to prolonged public campaigns and further targeted disruptions.

Comparison & Data

The table places the recent walkouts in context: the Nov. 13 action was smaller in headcount than the December 2024 stoppage but was intentionally synchronized with a high-visibility company promotion. That tactic emphasizes optics and public attention even when the immediate scale is smaller. The larger December strike demonstrated the union’s ability to expand action when negotiations break down, a capability that remains a bargaining factor.

Reactions & Quotes

“We are prepared to continue escalating our actions until Starbucks delivers a fair contract,” union organizers said after the authorization vote.

Starbucks Workers United (union statement)

“Our commitment to bargaining hasn’t changed,” Starbucks said in a company statement, urging unionized partners to return to productive talks.

Starbucks (company statement)

More than 100 lawmakers urged the chief executive to reach an agreement, saying the company has the resources to do so and asking for a change in posture on bargaining.

Letter from U.S. senators and representatives (public correspondence)

Unconfirmed

• The union’s claim of “hundreds” of unresolved unfair-labor-practice charges has been reported by the union; the precise number and status of each charge were not independently verified in available public filings.
• Union statements that Starbucks “stonewalled” on monetary proposals reflect the union’s assessment; company disclosure of specific offers and counteroffers has been limited in public statements.

Bottom Line

The November action illustrates a sustained, tactical campaign by Starbucks Workers United to press economic and workplace demands by leveraging high-visibility moments. While the immediate strike involved fewer stores than the large December 2024 walkout, its alignment with Red Cup Day aimed to maximize public pressure and signal readiness to escalate if talks remain stalemated.

For Starbucks, the dispute presents a choice between renewed, accelerated bargaining with concrete economic proposals or a prolonged public campaign by the union that could repeat on other promotional dates and draw continued political attention. Observers should watch for any new monetary proposals from the company, follow-up authorization votes, and whether the union broadens coordinated actions beyond single-day strikes.

Sources

• The New York Times (National news report)
• Starbucks Workers United (Union website/press releases)
• Starbucks Corporation Newsroom (Company statements)