Baristas Protest Staffing Woes and Removal of Pride Month Symbols
The Starbucks Workers United Union has declared a mass walkout of thousands of employees across hundreds of locations nationwide during the upcoming Red Cup Day promotional event this week.
Citing staffing and scheduling concerns as primary grievances, employees are organizing a “Red Cup Rebellion” on Thursday, coinciding with one of Starbucks’ most popular promotions, where the company distributes free reusable cups. Baristas anticipate this day to be particularly challenging due to high demand and understaffing, referring to it as “one of the most infamously hard, understaffed days” of the year. The union emphasized that, inspired by recent victories in various industries, Starbucks workers aim to elevate their protest to the next level.
The protest is not solely rooted in staffing issues; a previous incident in June saw Starbucks workers in Cypress Park walking off the job in response to the removal of Pride Month decorations and stalled contract negotiations.
Representing over 360 stores and 9,000 unionized employees nationwide, Workers United is taking a stand to address the concerns and challenges faced by Starbucks workers across America.
