More than 5,000 Starbucks employees will strike on Christmas Eve in the US

The Starbucks Employees Union (SWU) said more than 300 stores were closed with thousands of employees on strike that will last until Christmas Eve.

Employees strike in front of a Starbucks store in New York on December 23.

Reuters reported that the strike at Starbucks will expand to more than 300 stores in the US on December 24, with more than 5,000 employees expected to walk off the job before the five-day strike ends on Christmas Eve.

The Starbucks Employees Union (SWU), which represents employees at 525 stores nationwide, said more than 60 stores in 12 major US cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle, were closed on December 23.

Negotiations between Starbucks and the union reached a deadlock over unresolved issues such as wages, staffing and work schedules, leading to a strike that began on December 20.

The Christmas Eve strike is expected to be the largest ever at the coffee chain. “These strikes are an initial show of strength, and we are just getting started,” one Oregon barista said in a statement from the SWU.

When asked for a response, a Starbucks spokesperson referred to the company’s statement issued on December 23. In that statement, Starbucks said 97% to 99% of stores would continue to operate and serve customers, adding that it expected “very limited impact” on overall operations.

Starbucks has more than 10,000 stores in the US. “We are ready to continue bargaining when the union returns to the bargaining table,” the company said.

Starbucks, based in Seattle, Washington, had previously announced that union delegates had ended their bargaining session ahead of schedule. Earlier this month, the SWU rejected an offer to not raise wages immediately and secured 1.5 percent raises in the coming years.

The SWU also said Starbucks had yet to present its workers with “a serious economic proposal”.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hon-5000-nhan-vien-starbucks-se-dinh-cong-vao-dem-giang-sinh-tai-my-1852412241915435.htm