On November 13, of 2025, over 1,000 baristas in more than 40 cities and 65 stores, walked off the job starting an open ended Unfair Labor Practice strike calling it “Red Cup Rebellion.”

Baristas are risking it all going against a multi-billion dollar company in a struggle for a fair contract. Starbucks, one of the largest coffee-house chains in the world worth $93.5 billion, started as a humble local coffee shop in Seattle, and now dominates the coffee industry.  However this success isn’t shared with  their workers. 

Workers organized a union to battle the corporation demanding a living wage and better working conditions. 

According to the union, on November 5, union members voted 92 percent ‘yes’ to authorize the strike as the company has refused to meet the union on any of their demands. The union announced that they planned to turn Starbucks’ most popular sales day, “Red Cup Day,” to “Red Cup Rebellion.” 

The union states that Starbucks has committed over 500 labor law violations. In response, the union has filed more than 1,000 ULP’s, 125 since January 2025. There are more than 700 unresolved charges including bad faith bargaining and retaliatory firings and discipline. 

Since the authorization vote by the union, 26 U.S. Senators and 82 House Representatives have signed a letter to the Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol asking for the company to end its anti-union campaign and to work on a fair first contract with workers. 

”We are writing to express concern regarding Starbucks’ failure to reach a fair first contract with its baristas…Starbucks must reverse course from its current posture, resolve its existing labor disputes, and bargain a fair contract in good faith with these employees,” said the letter written by Senator Bernie Sanders and signed by 26 U.S. Senators.

The union’s demands include better hours to improve staffing in cafes. The union states that understaffing results in longer wait times, yet many baristas aren’t getting enough hours to pay their bills or qualify for health benefits. They also demand higher take-home pay. Many baristas struggle to pay for their necessities. They demand a full resolution to the many unfair labor practice charges by the union against the company.

According to the Starbucks website, it was started on March 30,1971 in the Pike Place Market in Seattle, selling fresh-roasted coffee beans, tea, and spices from different countries. The founders were a former English teacher, a history teacher, and a writer. Only one of them worked at the store, while the rest kept their day jobs. A New Yorker named Howard Schultz joined the company in 1982 as the CEO. He led the expansion of the company from only 11 stores in 1987 to now over 28,000 stores world wide, having locations in Chicago, Vancouver, Canada, California, and Washington D.C. As the years went by and they continued to grow, Starbucks claims they stay dedicated to their mission, “With every cup, with every conversation, with every community nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection.”

Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) was founded at the Starbucks on Elmwood Avenue in  Buffalo, New York, in August 2021. In December, they became the first unionized location with a 19-8 vote. One of the reasons why the workers chose to unionize is that the baristas have been exposed to unsafe working conditions during the pandemic. They had to work with broken equipment and experienced understaffing, having their hours cut, and suffering from poor management. Many baristas are paid the minimum wage. During the pandemic in 2021 with their hours being cut, baristas had to choose between paying for food or other bills. According to the union, following the unionization of the store in Buffalo, hundreds of stores followed in unionizing. Starbucks Workers United is made up of 12,000 workers at 650 coffee shops. They are 5% of Starbucks U.S workforce.

Last December, contract talks with the company broke down. In February, mediators were brought in and some progress was made, but in April the union voted to reject the company’s contract proposal. Since then, the company has stayed silent even though the union has regularly asked to bargain again. Starbucks blames the union for the stalling and the corporation argues the desires from the union are “untenable.” 

According to AP news, on September 17, 2025 employees filed a lawsuit against Starbucks after it changed the employee dress code, and required an all black or khaki t-shirt with black or blue denim pants. According to the union, the company refused to reimburse workers who had to purchase new clothes. Starbucks said this was to “simplify its dress code to deliver a more consistent experience to customers and give its employees clearer guidance.” 

Workers complain that the new policies like the updated uniform and hand-written messages on cups, make more work and were never discussed with the union. 

On September 27, 2025, in Buffalo, New York, in the Elmwood Avenue location, baristas and supporters stood outside the store to announce a national day of action that occurred in 35 other cities including Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia and Ohio. The purpose was to apply pressure on the company for a fair contract that includes better staffing, hours, and workplace protections. 

On the same day, at Los Angeles coffee shops near Miracle Mile on Wilshire Boulevard and in Santa Clarita, Starbucks workers rallied to apply pressure on the company to restart contract negotiations, as the company had stalled the entire year and no progress was being made. This protest was a result of an announcement made by the company that stated that they planned on closing hundreds of shops and firing an estimated 1,000 workers. 

Starbucks Workers United, from October 22 to November 2, practiced pickets in over 70 cities across the nation, to show that Starbucks workers and allies are together and prepared to fight for a fair contract and against unfair labor practices. 

The CEO of Starbucks is Brian Niccol. In 2024, he earned $96 million dollars, earning 6,666 times the pay of an average Starbucks employee. He has absolute control of the company because he is both CEO and chairman. He has refused to move to Seattle where Starbucks headquarters is and instead has the company pay to have a private jet fly him from his home in Newport Beach. According to the blog Stark, by Eric Starkman, he also has a remote office of 4,626 square feet that cost the company $14,000. He offered $6 million in stock grants to top managers if they helped him meet the cost reduction goals by the end of 2027. Although he works from home, he requires that employees work at the office at least four days of a week because “we do our best work when we’re together.” In 2018, Niccol was CEO of Chipotle. He moved Chipotle’s company headquarters from Denver, Colorado to Newport Beach, California, to be close to his home while causing hundreds of employees to have to move.

Since the strike launched on November 13, the “No Contract, No Coffee” strike has taken effect in over 65 stores, across 40 cities nationwide. Workers  are demanding a living wage,better hours, healthcare and respect.  

Starbucks baristas shared their emotions and disappointments with the company’s attitude and actions towards them in a national teleconference held. 

One Barista said “It felt like a slap in the face to spend months across from individuals who can make a difference…they held out for two months..these big corporations have no idea what it means to struggle.” The union emphasizes that Baristas struggle with insufficient hours and low wages. They have to rely on government assistance such as Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance programs (SNAP) to make ends meet, which the Trump administration is trying to end. The average barista only gets 19 hours a week which is under the threshold for health benefits which  requires 20 hours a week. 

Baristas are not just robotic human machines that produce coffee drinks. They connect with customers, and create those positive experiences that make people want to come back to the establishment.  One Baristas said that “we are the ones who open the stores every morning, close them every night, we greet customers, we make coffee, we clean up spills, we remember customers names and their favorite orders. Even had lifesaving devices in some locations where people’s lives have been saved.” 

By November 28, 2025, the Unfair Labor Practice strike became the longest in Starbucks history. A total of 2,500 baristas in more than 120 stores across 85 cities in the nation are participating, including workers at 26 newly unionized stores joined the picket lines. 

Some of the newer cities joining the fight include locations in Los Angeles and San Jose, CA; New York, NY; South Lake City,Utah; St. Louis,MO; and many more. As of Black Friday, there are 125,000 individuals who have signed the  “no contract,no coffee” pledge. The union has not limited themselves to just the shops but made some noise by turning away delivery trucks having at Starbucks’ largest distribution center in York, Penn. According to CBS 21 news, “protestors formed a blockade to stop trucks from delivering supplies to the distribution center, holding large banners which read, “no contract,no Starbucks.” Union members have also shown up at Starbucks CEO, Brian Niccol’s new satellite office in Newport Beach, CA, to protest. 

Many have come out and supported the union’s open ended strike. Elected officials across the country have joined picket lines, such as Senator Bernie Sanders, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, Senator Hickenlooper from Denver, Colorado, Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan, New York City Council Member Chi Ossé, and Philadelphia City Council Member Nicholas O’Rourke. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) has sanctioned the strike, meaning that Teamster drivers have refused to cross the picket lines to deliver food, pick up trash or bring packages to striking Starbucks locations. The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) also are supporting striking union baristas by supporting picket lines with strike kitchens, and providing hot meals to picketers. 

To help the Starbucks Workers United,  you can start by signing the pledge “No Contract,No coffee”, follow the union on their socials: instagram, X(twitter), for any upcoming events or call of actions. 

The union asked all supporters of the union to join a picket line. The message that Starbucks workers are sending to big corporations this holiday season is, “do not underestimate our network’s power, persistence, and grit. You cannot and will not silence us.” The union’s biggest request is to stop purchasing Starbucks products during the strike. 

To show support, you can create a “write on a cup” to show your support from home. Just take a video or photo, and say why you stand with baristas and sign the solidarity pledge. With every post, signature and share, it helps the union to apply pressure for a contract. 

You can also host a “stop buying Starbucks action.” Baristas are asking for customers and allies to show up at non-union Starbucks stores and turn away customers while they are on strike. You can donate to their strike fund, as it helps support baristas on the picket line, and purchase some of their merchandise. 

By Abigail Banales Sedano