Workers at Fairfax County’s first unionized Starbucks are officially on strike as part of a nationwide campaign to secure a contract from the coffee chain.
The Starbucks at 3046 Gatehouse Plaza in Merrifield was one of 26 stores around the U.S. to join the picket line today (Thursday), bringing the total number of participants in the nearly month-long strike up to approximately 3,000 baristas at over 145 cafes in more than 105 cities, Starbucks Workers United says.
Standing near an entrance into Gatehouse Plaza off of Gatehouse Road, workers in Merrifield wielded signs urging customers not to cross their picket line and declaring “no contract, no coffee.” That was also one of a few chants that cropped up, along with “workers united will never be defeated” and “prices high, wages low, Brian Niccol has got to go” in reference to the current Starbucks CEO…