From today’s Seattle Times:
Starbucks union workers approved an authorization to strike on the company’s upcoming Red Cup Day, a major holiday promotional event, according to results released Wednesday.
Starbucks Workers United, the union representing around 12,000 baristas nationwide, said 92% of voters were in favor of authorizing the strike.
The union warned that it would turn Red Cup Day on Nov. 13 into “the Red Cup Rebellion” if the company doesn’t finalize a contract by then. It said the strike could spread over 25 cities initially, and baristas are ready to escalate those actions if progress isn’t made.
A Starbucks spokesperson, who expressed the company’s disappointment, said Wednesday that the coffee giant is ready to talk.
Stalled contract negotiations are at the core of the conflict between the Seattle-based company and its unionized workers.
“Our fight is about actually making Starbucks jobs the best jobs in retail,” said Jasmine Leli, a Starbucks barista and strike captain from Buffalo, New York, in a statement. “Right now, it’s only the best job in retail for Brian Niccol,” the company’s CEO.
Read the complete story here.