‘Red for Bread’ mobilizes support for Starbucks union

Since July, Starbucks Workers United has been promoting monthly “Red for Bread” days of action. In October, what had been a long weekend of solidarity the three previous months was expanded to a full week of leafleting and picketing outside Starbucks stores. Over 550 separate actions took place from Oct. 21-28, organized by supporters, including The Baltimore-Washington Pride at Work chapter and a group of retired United Steelworkers members in Cleveland.

Starbucks workers organize the 500th store in Bellingham, Washington on Oct. 1, 2024. Photo: Starbucks Workers United

SBWU explained in an email to supporters that, “Our amazing epic union baristas are organizing en masse, and this is our biggest Red for Bread action ever.”

On Oct. 1 SBWU announced that they had just unionized the 500th Starbucks store, in Bellingham, Washington. More union victories have been announced since then, from Chicago to Columbus, Ohio, to Epping, New Hampshire.