Starbucks workers union announces pre-Christmas strikes across the country, including Burbank

BURBANK, Calif. -- Unionized Starbucks workers are walking off the job in the L.A. area, Chicago and Seattle Friday. The Burbank store is one of several where picketers will gather over the five-day strike.

Workers United, which has unionized more than 525 U.S. Starbucks locations, said in a press release Thursday that unfair labor practices and stalled negotiations with the company are the catalyst behind the holiday season strike.

Starbucks said in a statement that "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 year contract. This is not sustainable."

The strikes are set to begin Friday morning in what the union said are the company's most important markets; Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle. They will continue until Dec. 24 during what it called the company's busiest days of the year.

The Burbank location on 1190 West Alameda Avenue began picketing at 10 a.m. Friday.

During the strike period, the walkouts "are expected to spread each day and ultimately reach hundreds of stores from coast to coast by Christmas Eve" unless the company honors a February commitment made with the union.

According to Starbucks, there hasn't been any significant impact to store operations.

"We are aware of disruption at a small handful of stores, but the overwhelming majority of our US stores remain open and serving customers as normal," said Starbucks spokesperson, Phil Gee.

In February 2024, Workers United and Starbucks announced they would work on a "foundational framework" to reach a collective bargaining agreement for stores, something the union says has not come to fruition.

In a statement on Thursday following the strike announcement Starbucks said Workers United delegates "prematurely ended" its bargaining session with the coffee giant this week.

Starbucks added that the company is "focused on enhancing" employee experiences by offering an average wage of $18 per hour and benefits including health care, free college tuition, paid family leave and company stock grants.
"We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements," Starbucks said, adding, "We need the union to return to the table."

Workers United, however, said despite "repeatedly pledging publicly" that it intends to reach contracts by the end of the year, Starbucks has not yet presented workers with a "serious economic proposal."

"Nobody wants to strike. It's a last resort, but Starbucks has broken its promise to thousands of baristas and left us with no choice," Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi, a five-year Starbucks barista and bargaining delegate, said in the release.

"We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements," Starbucks said, adding, "We need the union to return to the table."

Workers United, however, said despite "repeatedly pledging publicly" that it intends to reach contracts by the end of the year, Starbucks has not yet presented workers with a "serious economic proposal."

"Nobody wants to strike. It's a last resort, but Starbucks has broken its promise to thousands of baristas and left us with no choice," Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi, a five-year Starbucks barista and bargaining delegate, said in the release.

ABC News' Zunaira Zaki contributed to this report.