Starbucks Workers United Calls Nationwide Boycott to Force First Union Contract

Starbucks Workers United, covering roughly 12,000 baristas, launched a consumer boycott of the coffee chain, arguing that purchasing Starbucks undermines the push for a first collective bargaining agreement. The union points to federal labor-law findings that label Starbucks as having committed hundreds of violations, more than any other modern company, and seeks a contract guaranteeing a minimum $17 per hour, reliable scheduling, improved store staffing and basic workplace protections, after revising an earlier $20-per-hour demand.

Despite over 700 locations unionizing since 2021—about five percent of the company's employees—the corporation has refused to sign a contract with what the union calls reasonable pay and conditions. Prior targeted strikes have not moved negotiations forward. The boycott received endorsements from the AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union, while Starbucks maintains it is committed to productive bargaining and highlights its "competitive pay" and low turnover. The union also provided a list of alternative coffee shops with existing collective agreements for supporters to patronize.