On Nov. 1, about two dozen people marched in front of a Starbucks location on State Street in Madison, Wis. They chanted union calls while holding signs that read “NO CONTRACT! NO COFFEE!”
This was just one in a series of practice pickets held at 70 Starbucks stores across 60 cities. Fresh Cup was on the scene in Madison to talk to baristas and supporters. The practice pickets took place ahead of the holiday season, traditionally one of the corporation’s busiest times.
Members of the Starbucks Workers United union started voting on Oct. 24 on whether to move forward with a strike and authorized strike action on Nov. 5. The union said they would begin walking out on Nov. 13—Red Cup Day, a major event for the chain, which typically features giveaways and limited-edition holiday drinks—if the company does not agree to a collective bargaining contract by then.
It’s been almost four years since the first Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, unionized, in December 2021. Since then, at least 650 other Starbucks locations across the nation have unionized, but the labor union has yet to agree to a first contract with the chain…