By Noam Scheiber
Source: The New York Times
Starbucks employees went on strike on Thursday at dozens of unionized locations nationwide, citing what they say is the company’s refusal to bargain in good faith and anti-union tactics like firings and store closings.
The work stoppage, which organizers have called “the Red Cup Rebellion,” after the reusable holiday-themed cups that Starbucks is distributing with certain purchases, was expected to last for the day. Striking workers said they would distribute union-branded cups to customers.
“Starbucks has left behind the very values that drew many of us to the company in the first place,” Michelle Eisen, a worker who helped organize the first of more than 250 locations that have unionized over the past year, said in a statement. “You cannot be pro-L.G.T.B.Q., pro-B.L.M., pro-sustainability, and anti-union. This Red Cup Day, we’re organizing for a voice on the job and a true seat at the table.”
