Starbucks baristas in Philadelphia demanded a union contract over the weekend after the coffee chain decided last week to shutter six stores in the city.
Workers rallied at 15th and Walnut streets Sunday as part of a nationwide protest in response to Starbucks’ closure of nearly 400 stores. The Philadelphia closures that closed include three non-unionized locations — 1500 Market St., 1801 Spruce St. and 1709 Chestnut St. — and three that are unionized — 1201 Walnut St., 1900 Market St. and 490 N. Broad St.
The 1801 Spruce St. store was the site of national controversy in 2018, when two Black men were arrested for sitting at the store without buying anything. Following backlash, Starbucks created a new policy which said people did not have to purchase anything to use the bathroom or sit at its stores, but it reversed that decision in January…