By Savyata Mishra, Gursimran Mehar and Renee Hickman
(Reuters) -Some members of the workers union representing more than 10,000 Starbucks (NASDAQ:) baristas began a five-day strike at stores in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle starting on Friday, citing unresolved issues over wages, staff and schedules.
This is the latest in a series of labor actions that have gained momentum in service industries after a period in which workers at manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace and railroad industries won substantial concessions from employers.
At Starbucks, the Workers United union, which represents employees at 525 stores across the United States, said Thursday night that strikes would intensify daily and could reach “hundreds of stores” nationwide by Christmas Eve.
“An estimated 10 of the 10,000 company-operated stores did not open today,” Starbucks said, adding that there was no significant impact on store operations on Friday.
About 20 people joined a picket at a Starbucks location on Chicago's North Side, buffeted by snow and wind but cheering in response to the horns of passing cars.
Some confused customers tried to enter the closed store before the strikers began chanting, but union member Shep Searl said the reaction had been mostly positive.
Searl said 100% of unionized workers at the Starbucks location in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood were participating in the strike and, according to workers, have been subject to numerous unfair labor practices, including write-ups, “captive public” meetings, and layoffs. .
The union member said they made about $21 an hour, adding that “it would have been a great salary in 2013.”
It's an inadequate salary, baristas said, given inflation and the high cost of living in a big city, especially since they rarely have 40-hour work weeks.
“We are planning to escalate the situation if necessary,” they said.
Negotiations between the company and Workers United began in April, based on an established framework agreed in February, which could also help resolve numerous outstanding legal disputes.
The company said Thursday that it has held more than nine bargaining sessions with the union since April and has reached more than 30 agreements on “hundreds of issues,” including economic issues.
The Seattle-based firm said it is ready to continue negotiations, alleging that union stewards prematurely ended the bargaining session this week.
The union, however, said in a facebook (NASDAQ:) post on Friday that Starbucks had yet to present a serious economic proposal with less than two weeks left before the year-end contract deadline.
The workers group also rejected an offer not to raise wages immediately and guarantee a 1.5% increase in coming years.
“Workers United's proposals call for an immediate increase in the minimum wage for hourly partners by 64% and by 77% over the duration of a three-year contract. This is not sustainable,” Starbucks said Friday.
Hundreds of complaints have been filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), accusing Starbucks of illegal labor practices, such as firing union supporters and closing stores during labor campaigns. Starbucks has denied wrongdoing and said it respects workers' right to choose whether to unionize.
Last month, the NLRB said Starbucks violated the law by telling workers at its flagship Seattle coffee shop that they would lose benefits if they joined a union.
“(The strike) takes place during one of the busiest times of the year for Starbucks, which could magnify its impact while also generating unwanted public scrutiny over the company's labor practices,” said Rachel Wolff. , Emarketer analyst.
The coffee chain is undergoing a turnaround under new chief executive Brian Niccol, which aims to restore “coffee shop culture” by revamping cafes and simplifying its menu, among other measures.
“Given how hard Starbucks is already struggling to win over customers, it can't afford the negative publicity – or impact on sales – that the strike could bring,” Wolff said.
The union has asked for support in the pickets in the three cities that will begin around 18:00 GMT, according to a publication in x.
The Starbucks workers' strike comes the same week that amazon.com (NASDAQ:) workers at seven U.S. facilities walked off the job Thursday during the holiday shopping rush.
There were 33 work stoppages in 2023, the most since 2000, though far fewer than in past decades, data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed.
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