Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol tells Fox Business why the company expanded its parental leave benefits.
unionized starbucks employees Voted to authorize the strike.
“BREAKING: 98% of SBWU baristas voted to authorize a ULP strike if necessary – just days before our emergency campaign call on Thursday @ 8:30pm PT / 5:30pm ET,” Starbucks Workers United. Said on Tuesday at X.
Potential strike authorization comes in lead-up to Tuesday’s meeting Starbucks Workers United And the company for further discussion.
The union claimed Starbucks has yet to bring a comprehensive economic package to the table, while hundreds of legal disputes over unfair labor practices remain unresolved. The union has also been advocating for higher wages, staff increases and schedule improvements.
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Starbucks barista behind a counter in Charlotte, NC (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images/Getty Images)
The timing of a possible strike by unionized workers has not yet been determined.
Thousands of Starbucks workers in more than 525 stores belong to the SBWU.
“It is time to finalize a basic framework that includes meaningful investments in baristas and resolving unfair labor practice charges,” SBWU bargaining representative Sylvia Baldwin said in a statement.
“We are ready to focus on the future by resolving the ULP and providing the support and protections it needs to do its job well and thrive,” he said. “We know that baristas are vital to the company’s operations, which is why we are bringing practical solutions to the bargaining table.”
A cup outside a Starbucks coffee shop in Albany, NY on January 30, 2024. (Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)
“It’s disappointing union A Starbucks spokesperson told Fox Business it is “considering a strike rather than focusing on extremely productive negotiations.” “Since April, we have scheduled and participated in more than eight multi-day bargaining sessions, where we reached 30 meaningful agreements. Workers United representatives told us dozens of topics were important to them, including many on economic Issues were also involved.”
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The spokesperson also said the coffeehouse chain is “committed to working together and reaching a final framework agreement.”
A Starbucks coffee sign in Warsaw, Poland, July 31, 2024. (Alexander Kalka/Nurfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)
The union and Starbucks began working on a “foundational framework” in April, and the two sides met as recently as September. That meeting took place shortly after brain nicole Became CEO of coffeehouse chain.
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Niccol announced Monday that the company will “more than double” the amount of paid parental leave it offers to U.S. store employees who work an average of 20 hours per week. The expanded benefits, which will include up to 18 weeks for birth parents and 12 weeks for non-birth parents, will take effect in the spring.
The company had about 361,000 employees at the end of September, including 211,000 in Starbucks-operated stores in the US, corporate support and other areas.
Reuters contributed to this report.
