WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Members of Starbucks Workers United have launched a strike in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle to protest against unfair labor practices and stalled negotiations with the company.
The strike, starting Friday, is expected to continue until December 24 at the primary locations during the peak holiday season.
The union anticipates the strike 'to spread each day and ultimately reach hundreds of stores from coast to coast by Christmas Eve', aiming to compel the beverages company to honor its commitment to finalizing the first union contract.
Earlier this year, Workers United and Starbucks had agreed to establish a foundational framework for the contract. However, despite repeated pleas from the union, the company has not presented a 'serious economic proposal'.
'Nobody wants to strike. It's a last resort, but Starbucks has broken its promise to thousands of baristas and left us with no choice,' Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi, a Starbucks barista and bargaining delegate, said in a press release.
'In a year when Starbucks invested so many millions in top executive talent, it has failed to present the baristas who make its company run with a viable economic proposal. This is just the beginning. We will do whatever it takes to get the company to honor the commitment it made to us in February.'
In response to the strike, Starbucks stated, 'We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements.'
The company added, 'We need the union to return to the table,' emphasizing that it is ready to offer an average wage of $18 per hour and benefits including health care, free college tuition, paid family leave and company stock grants.
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