The union representing more than 11,000 Starbucks baristas in the US says its members will go on strike for five days starting Friday morning, in a dispute over wages and working conditions.
Workers United says walkouts will take place in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle, and the strike will spread daily and reach hundreds of stores before Christmas Eve unless an agreement is reached with the coffee shop giant.
The union is subsequently demanding that Starbucks raise wages and workers, and implement better schedules for its workers.
“We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements. We need the union to return to the table,” said Starbucks when responding to the strike announcement.
The union says it represents workers at more than 500 stores in 45 US states.
“It’s a last resort, but Starbucks has broken its promise to thousands of baristas and left us helpless,” said Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi, a Texas Starbucks barista in a statement sent to the BBC by the union.
Workers United has highlighted what it sees as an unfair pay gap between its members and senior Starbucks executives, including CEO Brian Niccol.
Mr Niccol joined the company in September after his predecessor Laxman Narasimhan stepped down after less than two years in the role.
The world’s largest coffee shop has seen record sales as it faces price slumps and boycotts triggered by the Israel-Gaza war.
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