Buffalo, New York - The Starbucks Workers United labor union announced on Wednesday that members had overwhelmingly voted in favor of authorizing an open-ended strike next week.

"After months of stonewalling by Starbucks, unionized baristas just voted 92% to authorize a ULP strike unless $SBUX finalizes fair contracts & stops union busting," the union announced on X.

"If forced, our baristas will strike in dozens of cities on Nov 13 – the company's busiest day of the year."

The date of the potential strike coincide's with Red Cup Day, the coffee chain's biggest sales promotion of the year in which it hands out reusable cups with certain purchases. The union has previously organized labor actions on the day – dubbed the Red Cup Rebellion.

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It was not immediately clear how many stores might participate in the walkout, though the union said it was expected to impact 25 or more cities.

"Union baristas mean business and are ready to do whatever it takes to win a fair contract and end Starbucks’ unfair labor practices," Starbucks Workers United spokesperson Michelle Eisen said in a statement.

"We want Starbucks to succeed, but turning the company around and bringing customers back begins with listening to and supporting the baristas who are responsible for the Starbucks experience," she continued.

"If Starbucks keeps stonewalling, they should expect to see their business grind to a halt. The ball is in Starbucks' court."

Starbucks' previous CEO Laxman Narasimhan vowed to bargain with unionized workers and reach contract agreements by the end of last year, but negotiations have stalled under Brian Niccol, who took over in September 2024.

In April, elected union delegates overwhelmingly rejected a proposal which they said failed to improve wages or benefits in the first year of the contract or to address concerns around chronic understaffing.

"Our fight is about actually making Starbucks jobs the best jobs in retail. Right now, it’s only the best job in retail for Brian Niccol," said Jasmine Leli, a strike captain from Buffalo, New York.

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The union has accused the company of failing to meet workers' core demands, including better hours to improve staffing in stores, higher take-home pay, and the resolution of hundreds of outstanding unfair labor practice charges for union busting.

"In a majority of states, starting pay is just $15.25 an hour – and even then, we’re not getting the 20 hours a week we need to qualify for benefits," Leli explained.

Starbucks in September announced it would close hundreds of stores and lay off nearly 1,000 employees as part of a $1-billion restructuring plan.

Union baristas have called on supporters not to make any Starbucks purchases if the strike goes ahead.

"If our communities stand with us in action, we can take back power from the billionaires & CEOs," Starbucks Workers United wrote on X.