Unionized Starbucks baristas across the United States plans to go on strike on Thursday, November 13 to demand better pay and benefits.
The strike comes as the company anticipates more customers visiting its store for a holiday promotion.
According to the Starbucks Worker Union, more than 1,000 unionized Starbuck employees from 65 cities in the US will take part in the strike during "Red Cup Day," a holiday promotion where customers can get a free reusable cup.
The walkouts will take place at 4pm in cities like New York, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, San Diego, St. Louis, Dallas and Seattle.
Despite this, the coffee chain says almost all of its 17,000 US stores will stay open on Thursday with fewer than 1 percent affected by the strike.
Reports suggested that more Starbucks stores may join the strike if the company and workers do not agree on a contract.
Their workers claimed that Starbuck has not addressed key issues like staffing and pay since April.
In addition to this, the union wants Starbucks to address hundred of complaints about unfair labour practices, including claims that the workers fired in retaliation for trying to unionize.
The strike follows the CEO's earlier closure of hundreds of underperforming stores this year including 59 unionized locations.
