Chicago Starbucks workers walk picket lines as strike continues
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Starbucks workers were back on the picket line in Chicago Sunday afternoon—as they continue a five-day strike Friday to protest lack of progress in contract negotiations with the company.
Baristas at the store at 5964 N. Ridge Ave. in Edgewater have been on strike since Friday calling for higher wages and better staffing.
The strikes by baristas and other workers began Friday in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle—but it has since spread to other cities—including New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Denver, among others.
Organizers said the strike will continue to grow through Christmas Eve.
There are 535 unionized Starbucks stores in the U.S.
According to Starbucks Workers United, the following Chicago Starbucks locations are unionized:
- 6350 N. Broadway, near Loyola University
- 6075 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Village Shopping Center
- 5964 N. Ridge Ave., Edgewater.
- 1070 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Edgewater
- 4553-4557 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Square
- 1601 W. Irving Park Rd., Lakeview
- 1000 W. Diversey Pkwy., Lakeview
- 2101 W. Armitage Ave., Bucktown
- 116 S. Halsted St., Greektown
- 1174 E. 55th St., Hyde Park
- 5807 S. Western Ave., Gage Park
Several suburban Starbucks locations are also unionized, according to the union.
Starbucks Workers United, which began the unionization effort in 2021, said Starbucks has failed to honor a commitment made in February to reach a labor agreement this year. The union also wants the company to resolve outstanding legal issues, including hundreds of unfair labor practice charges that workers have filed with the National Labor Relations Board.
The union noted that Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol, who started in September, could make more than $100 million in his first year on the job. But it said the company recently proposed an economic package with no new wage increases for unionized baristas now and a 1.5% increase in future years.
The current strikes are not the first for Starbucks during the busy holiday season. In November 2023, thousands of workers at more than 200 stores walked out on Red Cup Day, when the company usually gives away thousands of reusable cups. Hundreds of workers also went on strike in June 2023 to protest after the union said Starbucks banned Pride displays at some stores.
There are more than 10,000 Starbucks locations in all.
