A union for Starbucks workers said that the cafe chain workers’ strike will extend to more than 300 stores in the United States today, and more than 5,000 workers are expected to stop working before the strike, which lasts 5 days, ends later on Christmas Eve.
Starbucks, which operates more than 10,000 stores across the United States, said 98% of its stores remain open, with about 170 stores closed on Tuesday.
Complete closure
The union said that more than 290 stores were “completely closed,” and that more than 300 stores went on strike as planned in 45 American states.
The Starbucks United Workers Union said that the Christmas Eve strike, today, Tuesday, is expected to be the largest in the coffee chain. One worker in Oregon said in a statement to the union, “These strikes are an initial show of strength, and we are just getting started.”
The union, which represents workers at 525 stores nationwide, called strikes in 12 major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle, to protest issues of wages, employment and shift schedules.
The strike began on Friday after talks between Starbucks and the union reached an impasse.
Offer rejected
Earlier this month, labor representatives rejected an offer not to raise wages immediately and pledged a 1.5% wage increase in the coming years.
The union also said that Starbucks has not yet presented its workers with a “serious economic proposal.”
The company said, “We are ready to continue negotiations when the Union returns to the negotiating table.”
Starbucks previously said that union delegates left the negotiating session prematurely.
