Starbucks Workers Stage Historic 'Red Cup Rebellion' Strike as Customers Flock to Support Unionized Baristas
In a bold move, hundreds of Starbucks baristas across over 40 cities in the US walked off the job on Thursday, marking one of the largest coordinated strikes by workers in the company's history. The strike, timed to coincide with the annual "red cup day" festivities, is aimed at pressuring the coffee giant into revisiting contract negotiations that have been stalled for months.
In Brooklyn's Clinton Hill neighborhood, picketers held signs, marched, and chanted slogans like "What's disgusting? Union-busting!" and "No contract, no coffee!", with many potential customers choosing to support the strike. According to Kaari Harsila, a 21-year-old shift supervisor and lead organizer of the rally, more than half of potential customers refused to cross the picket line.
Inside the store, however, Starbucks had brought in managers and higher-level supervisors to keep operations running, sparking frustration among workers. Jacob Muldoon, a former Starbucks worker who now works at UPS, said he came to show solidarity with his former colleagues and highlighted the benefits of unionization, including improved pay and healthcare. "I saw my pay go up $8 after I joined the union," he said.
The strike has been met with support from community leaders and labor unions, including New York Assembly Member Claire Valdez and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, who praised baristas for fighting not only for their own rights but also broader social causes. "When you fight for your trans co-workers to have healthcare, that is everyone's fight," Valdez said.
Starbucks Workers United announced last week that workers had voted to authorize an open-ended unfair labor practice (ULP) strike, citing stalled contract negotiations and hundreds of ULP charges filed against the company. Since 2021, over 650 Starbucks stores have unionized despite pushback from management.
While Starbucks claimed that the vast majority of stores would be unaffected by the action, business seemed to be affected in Brooklyn, with customers choosing to support the strike rather than patronize the store. For Harsila and her fellow protesters, seeing people turn away from their daily Starbucks was a sign of success, proof that workers' solidarity could drive change.
As the "red cup rebellion" gains momentum, it remains to be seen how long the strike will last and whether Starbucks will eventually return to the bargaining table. One thing is clear, however: workers are determined to fight for fair treatment, better pay, and improved working conditions, and customers are taking notice.
In a bold move, hundreds of Starbucks baristas across over 40 cities in the US walked off the job on Thursday, marking one of the largest coordinated strikes by workers in the company's history. The strike, timed to coincide with the annual "red cup day" festivities, is aimed at pressuring the coffee giant into revisiting contract negotiations that have been stalled for months.
In Brooklyn's Clinton Hill neighborhood, picketers held signs, marched, and chanted slogans like "What's disgusting? Union-busting!" and "No contract, no coffee!", with many potential customers choosing to support the strike. According to Kaari Harsila, a 21-year-old shift supervisor and lead organizer of the rally, more than half of potential customers refused to cross the picket line.
Inside the store, however, Starbucks had brought in managers and higher-level supervisors to keep operations running, sparking frustration among workers. Jacob Muldoon, a former Starbucks worker who now works at UPS, said he came to show solidarity with his former colleagues and highlighted the benefits of unionization, including improved pay and healthcare. "I saw my pay go up $8 after I joined the union," he said.
The strike has been met with support from community leaders and labor unions, including New York Assembly Member Claire Valdez and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, who praised baristas for fighting not only for their own rights but also broader social causes. "When you fight for your trans co-workers to have healthcare, that is everyone's fight," Valdez said.
Starbucks Workers United announced last week that workers had voted to authorize an open-ended unfair labor practice (ULP) strike, citing stalled contract negotiations and hundreds of ULP charges filed against the company. Since 2021, over 650 Starbucks stores have unionized despite pushback from management.
While Starbucks claimed that the vast majority of stores would be unaffected by the action, business seemed to be affected in Brooklyn, with customers choosing to support the strike rather than patronize the store. For Harsila and her fellow protesters, seeing people turn away from their daily Starbucks was a sign of success, proof that workers' solidarity could drive change.
As the "red cup rebellion" gains momentum, it remains to be seen how long the strike will last and whether Starbucks will eventually return to the bargaining table. One thing is clear, however: workers are determined to fight for fair treatment, better pay, and improved working conditions, and customers are taking notice.
just another example of corporate greed vs people power, you gotta respect those baristas standing up for themselves and their rights 
I mean, can you even believe this?! Like, these baristas are literally standing up for what they want and people are FINALLY listening! I was at the Starbucks in Brooklyn yesterday and it was like a whole different world - instead of being surrounded by all those annoying, entitled customers who thought the coffee just magically appeared, there were like 50 people with signs that said "No contract, no coffee!" And honestly, it's kinda beautiful 
. I mean, we've been talking about this for ages and people have finally started to take notice - like, the fact that you can't even get a decent cup of coffee without being treated like dirt? It's time for change! 
THEY'RE NOT AFRAID TO SPEAK OUT AND FIGHT FOR WHAT'S RIGHT, EVEN WHEN IT MEANS TAKING A STAND AGAINST THE COMPANY. I LOVE HOW CUSTOMERS ARE COMING OUT IN SUPPORT OF THEM, SHOWING THAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT FAIR TREATMENT AND BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS. IT'S TIME FOR COMPANIES LIKE STARBUCKS TO LISTEN TO THEIR EMPLOYEES AND WORK WITH THEM TO CREATE A BETTER WORKING ENVIRONMENT 
like i was talking about this exact thing on my old blog back in 2018 but nobody noticed 
and now it's finally happening! the whole 'red cup day' thing is genius, who would've thought that a holiday that was meant to be fun for customers could be turned into a symbol of worker solidarity? 
i'm loving how the strike is getting support from community leaders and labor unions, it shows that workers aren't just fighting for themselves but also for a better world.
i need to share this on my socials ASAP! 
it's amazing how far we've come in terms of labor rights and workers' empowerment. the fact that Starbucks has over 650 stores unionized despite pushback from management just goes to show that workers are strong and determined.
the 'red cup rebellion' is a reminder that even in the face of adversity, we can come together and fight for what's right 
. I guess that's some solid support.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for worker rights and all that, but can't we get some more balanced perspectives on this?
. I mean, can't they just negotiate in peace like normal people?
. Let's keep supporting these workers who are fighting for better pay, healthcare, and working conditions - they're not just brewing coffee, they're making a difference 
️
I'm low-key obsessed with this red cup rebellion 
- it just goes to show that people care about fair treatment and decent pay.
️ but at the same time, I'm also thinking that it's a bit dramatic 
. And I'm all for community leaders like Claire Valdez coming out in solidarity with the workers 
and a shift towards more worker empowerment 
. And let's give it up to these brave baristas who are taking a stand and refusing to back down! Their solidarity is truly inspiring 
!
. and you know what? it's kinda inspiring to see people turning away from the comfort and convenience of Starbucks to support these workers 
. it's like we're saying, "no contract, no coffee"... until we get fair treatment! 
I'm loving this momentum behind the #RedCupRebellion 
the fact that these poor baristas have been fighting for months with no contract and just got a strike approved by 650+ union stores... meanwhile 8 bucks more is all it took to get Jacob happy at UPS 
not sure what's more disturbing, the union busting or people needing an extra buck to care 
it's so awesome to see baristas standing up for their rights and fighting for what's right! the fact that over half of customers in clinton hill neighborhood refused to cross the picket line is, like, super inspiring