Starbucks Workers United "doubles down" with nationwide strike

Seattle, Washington - Hot off the heels of its one-year anniversary, Starbucks Workers United is kicking off the weekend early with its largest collective action to date: a three-day, nationwide strike starting on Friday.

Starbucks workers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, hold the line during the Double Down Strike on December 16, 2022.
Starbucks workers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, hold the line during the Double Down Strike on December 16, 2022.  © Screenshot/Twitter/pghsbuxunited

The Double Down Strike is taking place at 100 union stores across the country. Most of the more than 1,000 participating workers will be picketing from Friday through Sunday.

The action comes just one month after workers launched the Red Cup Rebellion, a US-wide, one-day strike to protest the company's anti-union activities, which include firing organizers, cutting workers' hours, and failing to bargain with unionized stores.

Just days after the action, the coffee giant announced it was closing the Broadway and Denny location – the first unionized store in Starbucks' hometown of Seattle, Washington.

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"Starbucks sent a clear message when they closed the Broadway and Denny store," Michelle Eisen, a barista at the US' first unionized store in Buffalo, New York, said in a Starbucks Workers United press release.

"They’re doubling down on their union-busting, so we’re doubling down, too. We’re demanding fair staffing, an end to store closures, and that Starbucks bargain with us in good faith."

Starbucks Workers United launches #NoContractNoGiftCards campaign

The National Labor Relations Board has already issued 45 official complaints against the company, detailing more than 900 alleged violations of federal labor law.

Starbucks Workers United is calling on supporters not to buy Starbucks gift cards this holiday season as part of its #NoContractNoGiftCards campaign.

Community members can also show their support on the picket lines this weekend by locating their nearest striking store.

Cover photo: Screenshot/Twitter/pghsbuxunited

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