Dubai – Qahwa World
The Starbucks on Indiana Avenue in Bloomington closed for most of Friday as workers joined a nationwide strike protesting the lack of a contract and stalled wage negotiations between Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol and the labor union Starbucks Workers United.
Barista and union member Eliza Ortiz said employees decided to strike after monitoring early national walkouts to see if management would return to the bargaining table. “If they wanted to come back to the bargaining table, our strike would have ended. But they haven’t, so we are escalating,” she said.
Starbucks Workers United, founded in 2021, now represents over 11,000 baristas in 550 stores nationwide. The Indiana Avenue store joined 120 other locations in the strike, which began with a nationwide walkout on Nov. 13 during Starbucks’ seasonal “Red Cup Day.” Bloomington’s other unionized Starbucks on State Road 46 did not participate, according to barista Annabelle Purkey.
National framework bargaining began in April 2024, but negotiations stalled after Starbucks rejected the union’s economic proposals in December 2024. The union criticized Starbucks’ counteroffer for failing to raise wages in the first year or address key issues. They subsequently filed a national unfair labor practice charge, accusing the company of failing to bargain in good faith.
About seven picketers arrived at Indiana Avenue at 8 a.m. Friday with signs reading “No Contract, No Coffee” and “Baristas on Strike!” Ortiz used a bullhorn to engage passing drivers, while members of the Bloomington chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America joined to support the protest.
The store closed roughly four hours after opening when employees did not show up. A sign on the door directed customers to other locations without mentioning the strike.
Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said the Nov. 13 walkout affected less than 1% of stores. “Partner engagement is up, turnover is nearly half the industry average, and we get more than 1 million job applications a year. Any agreement needs to reflect the reality that Starbucks offers the best job in retail,” she said.
Indiana Avenue employees filed a petition to unionize in June 2024 due to inconsistent scheduling and low wages. Ortiz said employees often faced reduced hours and struggled to cover rent, groceries, and medications. She added that after organizing locally with Workers United, the group plans to picket daily until management addresses their demands.
