On Red Cup Day, which is one of the most lucrative sales days of the year for the chain, more than one hundred unionized Starbucks stores plan to go on strike.
The union will distribute its own version of the reusable red cup at each of the 113 stores where employees are striking. This union’s cup will show the hand of the Grinch holding an ornament that bears the emblem of Starbucks Workers United.
The action is being taken after Starbucks Workers United and the firm were unable to reach an agreement during contract discussions.
On Thursday, which happens to be one of the chain’s busiest sales days of the year, unionized employees at more than one hundred Starbucks shops intend to go on strike.
Every year during the holiday season, in order to commemorate the occasion, Starbucks gives away free reusable red cups featuring the company’s logo to customers who make any purchase. The gift that takes place on the coffee chain’s Red Cup Day has evolved into an item that collectors simply must have, and the event that takes place this year marks its 25th anniversary.
On Thursday, organizers at 113 striking locations are preparing to protest and distribute a version of the red cup that features the hand of the Grinch clutching an ornament with the insignia of the Starbucks union on it. It is anticipated that the actions will interfere with store operations for at least a portion of the day.
The organizing drive that Starbucks Workers United has been doing over the course of the past year has resulted in this being the largest collective action that they have taken so far.
According to the union, the purpose of the strike is to bring awareness to the company’s alleged efforts to bust unions and its refusal to negotiate contracts in a fair manner. Starbucks has strongly refuted any claims that the company engages in unfair labor practices.
Around 260 company-owned Starbucks outlets have voted to unionize over the course of the past year under the umbrella of Workers United, which is an associate of Service Employees International Union. Despite the fact that this represents only a small portion of the chain’s roughly 9,000 company-operated outlets in the United States, the union drive has created a stir and spurred workers at Trader Joe’s and Chipotle Mexican Grill to take action in a similar vein.
In recent months, there has been a slowdown in the number of new cafés that have filed for union elections; nevertheless, if a contract agreement were to take place, it might potentially give the movement a boost.
Near the end of September, Starbucks informed more than 200 of its stores across the world by letter that it was prepared to begin contract discussions. However, Starbucks Workers United asserts that the firm has not been bargaining in good faith throughout the entire process.
Disagreements between the two parties regarding the participation of union members in the talks through Zoom led to a rapid breakdown in the talks between the two parties. Starbucks representatives have been seen storming out of meetings just a few minutes after they had begun, citing the fact that federal regulations require all negotiations to take place face-to-face.
“Broadcasting or recording these in-person sessions is deeply concerning and undermines the interests of our partners,” Starbucks said in a blog post on its anti-union website. “Negotiations may warrant the discussion of individuals by name and are likely to address a range of sensitive topics,” Starbucks said. “Broadcasting or recording these in-person sessions is deeply concerning and undermines the interests of our partners.”
The employer has submitted a total of 22 complaints to the National Labor Relations Board in connection with the negotiations.
On Tuesday, the Federal Labor Board submitted a petition for an injunction, requesting that a court force the corporation to refrain from terminating the employment of workers across the country.
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