Starbucks strike to expand to more than 300 stores, union says

A walkout at Starbucks is expanding to more than 300 U.S. stores on Tuesday, with roughly 5,000 workers expected to join the five-day labor action that comes to a close later in the day, according to the employees’ union.

Workers at 60-plus stores walked off their jobs in 12 major cities on Monday, with the Christmas Eve expansion projected to be the biggest yet by Starbucks Workers Union, which represents workers at 525 stores across the country.

“Half the baristas in my store drive 30 minutes one way because they can’t afford to live closer to work,” said Lauren Hollingsworth, a barista from Ashland, Oregon, in a union release.”These strikes are an initial show of strength,” she added.

The five-day strike started on Friday, putting it in play during the holiday shopping season, and broadened to include more stores in additional cities during the weekend, with workers protesting a lack of progress in contract talks with the Seattle-based company. 

According to the union, the company has failed to honor a commitment made in February to reach a labor agreement this year. 

Starbucks proposed an economic package with no new wage increases for unionized baristas now and a 1.5% increase in future years, the union said Friday. 

Starbucks said Workers United prematurely ended discussions this week. Its pay and benefits are already worth $30 an hour for those working at least 20 hours a week, the coffee chain said.

The union also wants Starbucks to resolve outstanding legal issues, including hundreds of unfair labor practice charges that workers have filed with the National Labor Relations Board. The agency also has opened or settled hundreds of charges against Amazon. On Thursday, a day before the Starbucks walkouts, the Teamsters union announced strikes at seven Amazon delivery hubs.

Starbucks did not immediately reply to a request for comment.