Starbucks workers on the move

Seattle

The Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) “Union Calling” bus came to Seattle to demonstrate outside Starbucks world headquarters on Aug. 8. Hundreds of baristas and their allies came to protest Starbucks’ union-busting campaign against the workers. At the rally and press conference, which was addressed by Washington State Labor Council President April Sims and others, they demanded a fair contract. 

Striking Starbucks workers shut down Marysville, Washington store, Aug. 7, 2023. Credit: Quinn (they/them) on Twitter

On Aug. 7, workers were in motion at 333 stores in 32 states. They were holding events at Starbucks called “Adopt a Store” to educate customers about company efforts to squash union organizing. Workers are fighting to organize free from fear, intimidation or coercion from the company.

At the Seattle event, workers held a high-energy action in front of Starbucks’ over-hyped “Original Store” in the Pike Place Market. Carrying a banner reading “Strike Place Market,” workers and allies marched through the market.  They followed a disc jockey and distributed information to build public awareness about Starbucks’ union busting. They moved on to other Starbucks stores to raise workers’ demands for a living wage and to protest the abuse of union supporters, including multiple retaliatory store closures in Seattle, part of a war against SBWU.

In Washington state, workers at three more Starbucks stores announced union organizing drives on Aug. 4.  These stores are located at Seattle Center and at Third Avenue and Madison Street in Seattle and the Market and Wine Country Starbucks in Prosser. 

A Starbucks worker reported Aug. 7 on the X platform formerly known as Twitter: “Lakewood Crossing Sbux in Marysville, Washington, is shut down on strike in response to Starbucks cutting labor and understaffing our stores, refusing to bargain with our store and over 8,000 other workers across the country, as well as management taking down our Pride flag this week.” (@quentinrmccoy)