Starbucks workers elect strike captains, hold practice pickets and rallies, and hold a strike vote while contract talks remain frozen.
Starbucks Workers United (SBWU), representing more than 12,000 baristas at over 600 unionized Starbucks stores in the United States, has launched a strike authorization vote that will run through early November. The vote follows nearly two years of stalled contract negotiations, the union says.
According to CNBC and Reuters, SBWU accuses Starbucks of failing to make meaningful economic proposals, while the company maintains it is ready to bargain and that union representatives walked away from the table. Starbucks says employees at unionized stores currently earn an average of about $30 per hour, including benefits.
At the same time, a group of institutional investors—including the New York City Comptroller’s Office, Trillium Asset Management, and the Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE)—has urged Starbucks’ board to re-engage in collective bargaining. In their joint letter, the investors warned of potential reputational and operational risks if the company’s labor disputes continue. This is a common pressure tactic during a corporate campaign. The full letter can be read here.
The authorization vote gives the union the option to call a strike if talks do not progress, but it does not automatically trigger a work stoppage. The timing is significant: Starbucks’ holiday season is its busiest and most profitable period of the year, making this a strategic moment for the union to increase pressure.
Unionized stores represent only a small portion of Starbucks’ more than 16,000 U.S. locations, which may limit immediate operational disruption. However, the campaign’s visibility has grown as SBWU expands its tactics. The union now reports organizing victories at more than 640 stores nationwide.
In recent weeks, SBWU has stepped up its organizing and public demonstrations. Workers have begun electing strike captains at individual stores to coordinate communication and mobilization ahead of a potential strike. In multiple cities, unionized baristas have held practice pickets to prepare for possible walkouts and to rally customer support. Events have taken place in nearly 80 locations, including New York City, St. Louis, and Eugene, Oregon, where workers carried signs calling for “a fair contract and livable wages,”.
Earlier this year, SBWU organized walkouts at more than 50 stores over alleged unilateral changes to the company’s dress code. When Starbucks announced store closures in September 2025, the union said it secured “effects bargaining” agreements for affected workers at the 59 unionized stores impacted by Starbucks’ closure plan.
The union also filed a formal complaint this week with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) opposing Starbucks’ role as the “Official Coffee Partner” of the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles. The union cited existing unfair labor-practice charges, arguing that Starbucks’ conduct conflicts with the values the Olympic movement claims to uphold.
Under the effects bargaining agreement, union partners will receive the company-provided severance, even if they decline transfers, will have 2 days to accept transfer offers, and will retain health benefits through at least October 31 (or December 31 under WARN Act coverage). They will also receive paid hours through early October, and any final warnings will be reviewed before they are disqualified from transfer eligibility.
For now, both sides appear to be holding firm. The outcome of the strike authorization vote, along with Starbucks’ response in the weeks ahead, will determine whether the dispute escalates further during the busy holiday season.
