The labor dispute at the American coffeehouse chain Starbucks has been simmering since April, but the situation deteriorated significantly last weekend. Shortly before Christmas, the strikes are extended.
Workers in four other U.S. cities have joined the ongoing five-day strike, Workers United said. Employees also left work in New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis and an undisclosed city in New Jersey. The strike began Friday and initially affected locations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle.
Claims “untenable”
The union is demanding, among other things, an immediate increase in the minimum wage by 64 percent and a total increase of 77 percent over the term of a three-year contract. Starbucks describes this requirement as “unsustainable.” Starbucks and the union have been negotiating since April.
Strikes affected important Christmas matters
Workers United, which represents more than 10,000 baristas, is threatening to expand the strike to “hundreds of stores” by Christmas Eve. This could have serious consequences for the company’s important Christmas activities.
However, Starbucks said the strike’s impact would be minor as only a small number of U.S. stores were affected. The company operates more than 11,000 stores in the U.S. and employs approximately 200,000 people.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
