Baristas at more than 150 Starbucks coffee shops went on strike Christmas Eve, and labor leaders joined workers on the picket line outside a Center City location.
Ten stores in Philadelphia are unionized, and organizers are centering demonstrations at the at 16th and Walnut Street location. Service Employees International Union President April Verrett and Workers United President Lynne Fox showed up to support the picketers Tuesday morning.
More than 5,000 employees at about 300 stores are participating in the walkout, according to Starbucks Workers United, the union representing the baristas. Company representatives said that the strike forced only about 170 shops to close Tuesday, out of 10,000 locations.
Starbucks, in a previous statement, said that the coffee giant expects “very limited impact” to its overall operations. The company, in an Instagram post last week, blamed the union for “prematurely” ending talks.
“We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements,” the post continued. “We need the union to return to the table.”
Baristas make an average of just over $18 an hour, along with healthcare benefits, free college tuition, paid family leave and company stock grants, according to Starbucks.
SBWU says the company has yet to present a “serious economic proposal,” and is only offering future pay increases of 1.5%.
Starbucks earlier this year committed to reaching contracts with unionized shops by the end of 2024, union representatives said, and the chain faces hundreds of unfair labor practice cases. SBWU has characterized the walkout as a ULP strike.
The nationwide five-day strike began Friday, gradually building up to Christmas Eve. Baristas at unionized shops in Philadelphia joined the picket line Sunday. Organizers planned the labor action to coincide with the lead-up to the holiday, “traditionally one of Starbucks’ busiest customer traffic times of the year,” according to the union.
