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Starbucks workers in the US launched a five-day strike on Friday, impacting stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle, over pay and working conditions. The union, Starbucks Workers United, warned the strike will escalate daily, potentially reaching hundreds of stores by Christmas Eve unless an agreement is reached.
It follows the union calling for the coffee shop giant to raise wages and staffing, as well as implement better schedules for its workers.
"We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements. We need the union to return to the table," a Starbucks spokesperson said in response to the strike announcement.
The strike marks the biggest Workers United action since the organisation started trying to negotiate a contract with the company more than two years ago. The union has been picking up members since the first store in the US voted to join in 2021. It now represents more than 500 shops across 45 US states. Workers United has highlighted what it sees as an unfair pay disparity between its members and senior Starbucks bosses, including chief executive Brian Niccol.
His annual base pay is $1.6m. He could also get a performance-related bonus of as much as $7.2m and up to $23m a year of Starbucks shares.
Starbucks has previously defended the plan, saying that Mr Niccol was "one of the most effective leaders in our industry" and that his compensation was "tied directly to the company's performance and the shared success of all our stakeholders".
The company, which has more than 16,000 stores in the US, also highlighted that it offers average pay of over $18 (£14.40) an hour, as well as "best-in-class benefits."
"Taken together they are worth an average of $30 per hour for baristas who work at least 20 hours per week," it said.
The strike comes at a tricky moment for the company. It replaced former boss Laxman Narasimhan in August, naming Mr Niccol to lead a turnaround.
