Starbucks employees have expanded their strike to four additional cities across the country, including New York. The strike is growing to more locations amid the busiest time of the holiday season.
According to USA Today, the strikes started on Friday in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle. On Saturday, they expanded to stores in Denver, Pittsburgh, and Columbus, Ohio. On Sunday, baristas in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis joined the picket line. As of Monday morning, the strike has now expanded to Boston, Dallas- Fort Worth, and Portland, Oregon.
Now in a dozen states, the Starbucks strike has grown to include more businesses, but Starbucks spokesperson Phil McGee said that the strikes have not significantly impacted the company’s operations because only a few locations across the country are participating.
Union representatives said the Starbucks workers are striking to “protest low wages, staffing issues, and benefits.”
There are more than 11,000 Starbucks storefront locations across the country employing around 200,000 workers, according to Reuters.
Workers United, which represents more than 10,000 baristas, warned when the strike began on Friday that it could reach “hundreds of stores” by Christmas Eve on Tuesday. Negotiations began in April between Starbucks executives and the union. Although more than eight bargaining sessions had been held and 30 agreements had been made, talks have come to an impasse over issues left unresolved including pay, staffing and schedules, Reuters reports.
“Workers United proposals call for an immediate increase in the minimum wage of hourly partners by 64%,, and by 77% over the life of a three-year contract. This is not sustainable,” Starbucks said.
Meanwhile, more Amazon workers have also continued walking off the job during the holiday rush. According to NBC New York, over the weekend, thousands more Amazon employees went on strike in New York, joining the tens of thousands of others across the country.
Despite the union’s efforts to disrupt operations during the most demanding time of year, Amazon spokeswoman Eileen Hards said that the action is having “no impact on operations,” according to The Washington Post, and that the warehouse was “business as usual” in the Staten Island center. If enough protestors join, however, it could impact local deliveries.
One protester standing outside in the frigid cold said that he hates the cold and does not want to be out in it, “but we need a livable wage.”
The Teamsters said that roughly 9,000 Amazon workers have joined the union since June. This week’s strike is reportedly the largest action taken so far against Amazon, according to The Washington Post. Amazon workers are also on strike in Atlanta, Georgia, Skokie, Illinois, San Francisco, and other locations in Southern California.
