Brewing Tensions: Starbucks on Strike

A handful of Amazon workers aren't the only ones trying to ruin your Christmas this year. It seems as though there's another Grinch in town, and it's dressed in a green barista apron. As of Friday, Starbucks workers in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Chicago are going on strike until Christmas Eve, and more cities could follow. 

In a move these angry coffee slingers are calling "'Twas the Strike Before Christmas," the Starbucks Workers United union says that 98% of members approved of the strike, which is a "response to the company backtracking on our promised path forward." 

🔥 TWAS THE STRIKE BEFORE CHRISTMAS! 🔥✊

Starbucks baristas are going on five days of escalating ULP strikes in response to the company backtracking on our promised path forward, starting tomorrow in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle... and soon, from coast-to-coast. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/MXP07DJhEJ

— Starbucks Workers United (@SBWorkersUnited) December 20, 2024

In a continued thread on X, the union stated: 

Since February, Starbucks has repeatedly pledged publicly that they intended to reach contracts by the end of the year - but they’ve yet to present workers with a serious economic proposal. This week, less than two weeks before their end-of-year deadline, Starbucks proposed no immediate wage increase for union baristas, and a guarantee of only 1.5% wage increases in future years.

Of course, Starbucks itself tells a different story. In a statement to NPR, the company said that "it has held more than nine bargaining sessions with the union and reached over 30 'meaningful agreements on hundreds of topics' since April." It also stated that the "Workers United proposals call for an immediate increase in the minimum wage of hourly partners by 64%, which it views as 'not sustainable.'" 

According to CBS, "Starbucks said it already offers pay and benefits — including free college tuition and paid family leave  — worth $30 per hour for baristas who work at least 20 hours per week." 

The company also put out a statement saying, "We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements. We need the union to return to the table." 

CNBC suggested that "The stoppage could mean longer waits for holiday drinks and popular Starbucks merchandise in the days leading up to Christmas, when many Americans will be off work and school or buying last-minute gifts." 

And that's my problem with the whole thing. I don't drink coffee, and the few food items I've had from Starbucks have been disgusting, so admittedly, I'm not a customer. But choosing this time of year to "strike" is probably going to hurt your customers more than it does the actual company. If you want me to be sympathetic to your cause, don't make these busy pre-Christmas days worse than they already are for people who just want a freaking cup of coffee after waiting in line for hours at the grocery store or spending half the day in holiday traffic. 

And it seems that many on X are less than impressed: 

You guys are striking again?😆 Oh no... Whatever will I do without bitter, nasty, overpriced coffee?😱

— 🤘Freebird!🤘 (@FrankRizz0) December 20, 2024

Have you tried just not working for Starbucks if they're not giving you what you requested?

— MOAR GUNS, LESS TAXES! (@ThenAlexSaid1) December 20, 2024

Do y'all think anybody cares? Starbucks coffee sucks, and you'll soon find you guys are all out of jobs when people discover how good coffee is outside of Starbucks.

— MHayden (@Mhayden_951) December 20, 2024