Today, as the holiday season approaches, baristas at One Financial Plaza in Providence are joining a series of strikes by fellow Starbucks workers across the U.S.: the “Red Cup Rebellion.” Starbucks Workers United, the union that organized the rolling strike, has been clear and consistent in its demands all year. The three unaddressed demands are:
Better hours and improved staffing in our stores. Understaffing is rampant, leading to longer wait times as customer orders stream in. Yet too many baristas still aren’t getting enough hours to pay the bills or meet the threshold for benefits. Starbucks needs to invest in increasing hours.
Higher take-home pay, so bills can be paid. Too many baristas struggle to get by, while executives make millions. Starbucks needs to put more money toward our take-home pay.
Resolution for hundreds of outstanding unfair labor practice charges for union busting. The coffee giant has committed more labor law violations than any employer in modern history. Starbucks needs to fully resolve legal issues impacting baristas.
In early November, Starbucks Workers United members in Providence began to hold practice pickets in preparation for the national strike. Baristas at One Financial Plaza unionized in 2023, but like Starbucks workers across the country, they’ve gone without a contract as corporate executives stonewall and attempt to destroy the union.
When I spoke with the Providence union members at their practice picket, they were eager to explain the struggles they’re currently experiencing. Victoria, a Starbucks worker for seven years, said, “We want corporate to come to the table and bargain with us and sign the contract finally. We are asking for multiple things like better pay and better working conditions. I think ultimately this will make sure they listen to us as employees and take our advice on what changes need to be made.”
Julie Langevin, a full-time staffer with Workers United who formerly worked at Starbucks for thirteen years, explained: “The demands the workers have right now, because we have 90% of the contract already completed, are around wages, staffing, scheduling, and also around remedying unfair labor practices the company has been committing over the last four years. We basically want Starbucks to know that if they do not return to the bargaining table, we will do whatever it takes to win, and that these practice pickets are just a show of strength and structure. We’ve been building behind the scenes for many months, and if Starbucks does not think we are serious about this, they have another thing coming.”
Starbucks refused to come to the table, and the workers made good on their promise. One Financial Plaza begins its strike today. Crucially, the baristas are supported by workers beyond their workplace. Teamsters are refusing to deliver supplies to Starbucks stores wherever there’s a picket — an act of cross-union solidarity that shows the growing unity of the labor movement.
The frustrations expressed by Starbucks workers are common throughout the country. Whether it's customer service, food service, hospitality, or healthcare, workers are making similar demands. As their frustrations grow, so do their actions to remedy them.
The workers of Starbucks have formed a powerful front with workers nationwide. The only question is, how long will it take Starbucks' corporate division to negotiate what is left of the 90%-completed contract? Service sector workers are known for how poorly they are treated, not just by customers but also by employers. If this contract is signed, it will be a historic victory for both labor as a whole and specifically one of its most abused sections.
To support Starbucks workers in Providence:
Do not buy Starbucks at any store for the duration of the strike. The union has called a boycott.
Donate to the strike fund for the workers at One Financial Plaza.
Donate to Rhode Island DSA’s strike pantry:
