Starbucks, Amazon unions strike ahead of Christmas

Workers at some Starbucks locations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle on Friday walked off the job as part of a planned five-day strike. The employees belong to Workers United, a union that represents about 10,000 baristas at more than 525 stores across the country. The union said the strike would grow to include more stores each day through Dec. 24 unless the company honors a February agreement to work together to finalize the first union contract at Starbucks.

What have the two sides said? After forming in 2021, Workers United has never reached a formal labor agreement with the coffee giant. The union on Tuesday said 98% of baristas voted in favor of striking after the company failed to put forward a comprehensive economic package. Starbucks has also failed to resolve hundreds of unfair labor practice charges workers filed with the National Labor Relations Board, according to the union. For instance, the union has accused Starbucks of retaliating against members who support the union, although the company says it supports the employees’ right to collective bargaining.

Starbucks on Thursday issued a statement saying the union had been the ones to walk away from a bargaining session this week and that the company is ready to continue negotiations. The company also said it was offering employees an average of $18 per hour, health care, free college tuition, and expanded paid family leave. Union members, however, have said they are not compensated fairly. When CEO Brian Niccol joined the company in September he wrote a letter to the union saying he was committed to working with them but union bargaining delegate Silvia Baldwin on Thursday said the company is prioritizing paying executives over baristas.

What is happening with Amazon? The Teamsters Union on Thursday said Amazon workers at seven delivery hubs were walking off the job amid failed contract negotiations. Workers at three Southern California hubs and those in San Francisco, Atlanta, New York City, and Skokie, Illinois joined the walkout. The union claims to represent nearly 10,000 workers at 10 facilities but did not say how many workers were on strike or how long the action would last. Amazon refused to meet with the Teamsters. The giant told media outlets that the union only represents a small fraction of Amazon workers. The company does not expect the strike to affect holiday shipments.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report about the Supreme Court ruling against pro-union Starbucks workers.