Unionized Starbucks baristas represented by Starbucks Workers United launched a nationwide 'red cup rebellion' strike on Thursday to demand higher pay, better staffing and a first collective bargaining agreement. The union said the action began at more than 65 stores in 40+ cities and has no set end date; Starbucks said under 1% of its 17,000 U.S. locations were affected. Negotiations that started in April 2024 collapsed in December, and the union, backed by a 92% strike authorization vote, says it will escalate if talks do not resume in good faith.
Nationwide 'Red Cup Rebellion': Thousands of Starbucks Baristas Stage Walkout Over Pay, Staffing and Contracts
Unionized Starbucks baristas represented by Starbucks Workers United launched a nationwide 'red cup rebellion' strike on Thursday to demand higher pay, better staffing and a first collective bargaining agreement. The union said the action began at more than 65 stores in 40+ cities and has no set end date; Starbucks said under 1% of its 17,000 U.S. locations were affected. Negotiations that started in April 2024 collapsed in December, and the union, backed by a 92% strike authorization vote, says it will escalate if talks do not resume in good faith.
10:09 PM, 11/13/2025Economy
Thousands of Starbucks Baristas Stage 'Red Cup Rebellion' Strike
Unionized Starbucks employees represented by Starbucks Workers United walked off the job on Thursday in a coordinated action the union has dubbed the 'red cup rebellion.' The action coincides with Starbucks' annual Red Cup Day promotion and is intended to press the company for a first collective bargaining agreement, higher pay, better staffing and remedies for alleged unfair labor practices.
The union says it represents more than 9,500 baristas at roughly 550 locations and that the work stoppage began at over 65 stores in more than 40 cities. Starbucks Workers United said the strike has no set end date and signaled it is prepared to escalate the action if negotiations do not produce a fair contract.
Union Remarks
Union spokesperson Michelle Eisen, a 15-year Starbucks barista, said on a press call that several stores were already closed for the day and that more closures were expected. She added that the strike is intended to pressure Starbucks to end what the union calls 'union-busting' and to negotiate a meaningful economic contract.
'If Starbucks keeps stonewalling a fair contract and refusing to end union-busting, they'll see their business grind to a halt. No contract, no coffee is more than a tagline — it's a pledge to interrupt Starbucks operations and profits until a fair union contract and an end to unfair labor practices are won,' Eisen said.
Starbucks Response
Starbucks characterized the immediate effects as limited. Company spokesperson Jaci Anderson said the company observed 'minimal impacts' across its more than 17,000 U.S. coffeehouses and estimated that under 1% of stores were affected that morning.
'We are disappointed that Workers United, who only represents around 4% of our partners, has voted to authorize a strike instead of returning to the bargaining table. When they're ready to come back, we're ready to talk,' Anderson said.
CEO Brian Niccol told media in October that Starbucks offers 'the best benefits' and 'the best wages' in the industry and characterized some union demands as unreasonable, while saying the company remains willing to negotiate.
Wages, Negotiations and Context
Starbucks has said it provides compensation and benefits with an equivalent value of about $30 an hour. Baristas who spoke on the union call reported actual pay of about $16 to $17 an hour. One Chicago barista, Diego Franco, said, 'The reality is I make $17 an hour, and I live paycheck to paycheck. I can't sustain myself on that. I can't sustain my mom's medical bills.'
Contract talks between Starbucks and Workers United began in April 2024 and collapsed in December. The union says it has secured 33 tentative agreements with the company, though most of those address non-economic issues. Last week, Workers United reported that 92% of voting members had authorized a strike.
Harvard Law School professor Sharon Block told CBS News the fits and starts of the negotiations illustrate limits in federal labor law to compel good-faith bargaining: 'The law just seems to be incapable of ensuring a fair playing field for these workers who take big risks,' she said.
History and Wider Action
This is the union's third nationwide work stoppage in the past year. Workers United organized protests in May over a new dress code and thousands of union members walked off the job in December 2024.
Cities Where Strikes Were Planned
Workers United provided a list of cities where baristas were planning to strike, including:
- Anaheim, CA
- Long Beach, CA
- San Diego, CA
- Santa Clarita, CA
- Santa Cruz, CA
- Scotts Valley, CA
- Seal Beach, CA
- Soquel, CA
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Lafayette, CO
- Des Plaines, IL
- Evanston, IL
- Geneva, IL
- Alpharetta, GA
- Roswell, GA
- Chanhassen, MN
- Minneapolis, MN
- Saint Louis, MO
- Brooklyn, NY
- New York, NY
- Columbus, OH
- Lewis Center, OH
- Reynoldsburg, OH
- Upper Arlington, OH
- Worthington, OH
- Beaverton, OR
- Damascus, OR
- Eugene, OR
- Gresham, OR
- Portland, OR
- Dickson City, PA
- Lancaster, PA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Dallas, TX
- Denton, TX
- Farmers Branch, TX
- Mechanicsville, VA
- Richmond, VA
- Redmond, WA
- Seattle, WA
As the situation develops, both sides say they remain open to returning to the bargaining table — but the union has warned it will expand the stoppage until a contract and resolution of unfair labor practice charges are achieved.