Starbucks workers in Washington join national strike
SEATTLE — Starbucks workers at more than 200 locations nationwide, including 15 in Washington, walked out Thursday on one of the company’s busiest days, according to the union representing the workers. The walkout signals the continuing contentiousness over contract bargaining between the coffee giant and union workers.
In Thursday’s strike, dubbed Red Cup Rebellion, Starbucks workers called for the Seattle-based company to engage in bargaining over issues including staffing and scheduling, said the union, Starbucks Workers United.
The walkouts are so named because they are taking place on Red Cup Day, a yearly event that draws some of the highest sales of the year for the coffee giant. Customers can get a free reusable red Starbucks cup with the purchase of a holiday drink. The promotion drives more Starbucks fans to the stores that striking workers claim are understaffed.
In Washington, hundreds of Starbucks union workers at the 15 locations joined the one-day strike on Thursday. The participating locations were in Seattle, Shoreline, Bellingham, Marysville, Everett, Olympia, Tumwater, Vancouver and Redmond.