On November 14, 2025, coffee giant Starbucks is facing strikes planned by over 1000 employees in parts of its stores across several cities in the United States on Thursday, November 13. This day coincides with Starbucks’ annual holiday promotion event called “Red Cup Day,” where reusable red cups are usually given away for free.
According to foot traffic data from Placer.ai, Starbucks’ “Red Cup Day” in 2024 saw a 42.4% increase in daily foot traffic compared to a typical Thursday.
The Starbucks Workers Union (SWU), representing Starbucks employees, stated in a release to ABC News that over 1000 Starbucks employees will be striking in around 65 stores across 40 cities in states like California, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
Union members mentioned that since rejecting Starbucks’ proposals in April, the company has failed to come up with new settlement options regarding crucial issues such as staffing, wages, and hundreds of allegations of illegal labor practices against union members, as well as incidents of retaliation that remain unresolved.
The union stated that if negotiations do not resume, union workers from over 550 stores are prepared to join the strike.
This strike marks the fourth organized by the union since 2023 and the third since Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol took office in September 2024.
Amos Hall, a barista at a Pittsburgh Starbucks store, said in a statement to ABC News, “Since Starbucks refuses to reach a fair contract with the union and to cease their anti-union behavior, we have to take drastic action to turn ‘Red Cup Day’ into a season of protest.”
Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson, in an interview with ABC News, downplayed the expected scale of the strike and blamed the union for refusing to negotiate with the company.
She stated, “SWU represents only about 4% of our partners. Instead of returning to the bargaining table, they voted for a strike, which is disappointing. They can come back to negotiations anytime.”
Anderson added, “Any agreement must recognize the reality that Starbucks already provides the best jobs the retail industry can offer, with an average hourly wage exceeding $30 and other benefits.”
She also mentioned that the proposal presented by SWU to its members in the April vote was incomplete. SWU has 9,500 members in around 550 stores, not over 12,000 members in over 600 stores as stated.
In February 2024, SWU and Starbucks announced developing a “basic framework” to come to collective negotiation agreements in each store. Negotiations began in April of the same year.
A few months later, Brian Niccol took office, promising to reverse the company’s declining sales trend. His restructuring plan in September led to the closure of over 600 stores, leaving thousands of baristas unemployed and eliminating over 900 non-retail positions.
Starbucks’ latest financial report in late October showed a 1% growth in global same-store sales in the fourth quarter, attributed to new high-protein drink offerings. This marks Starbucks’ first increase in same-store sales after six consecutive quarters of decline.
Niccol mentioned in a conference call with analysts in October, “The plan is working, we are gaining momentum, and there is more work to be done.”
However, the company and the union have yet to reach an agreement on the contract.
A 2021 analysis by Bloomberg Law revealed that it takes new unions an average of around 409 days to successfully negotiate and sign their first collective bargaining agreement with employers. It has been approximately 625 days since Starbucks and the union committed to reaching an agreement.
Kate Bronfenbrenner, a labor relations professor at Cornell University, stated that Thursday’s strike signifies the union’s efforts to pressure Starbucks into initiating negotiations.
(Reference from ABC News and Business Insider)