On Tuesday, Starbucks employees across the country intensified their ongoing strike, leading to the temporary closure of at least 170 stores.

The strike, which commenced on Friday, originally closed Starbucks outlets in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle before spreading to various locations in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Denver, Pittsburgh, and Columbus, Ohio, as reported by Starbucks Workers United.

The union indicated on Tuesday morning that they anticipated over 5,000 workers would participate in walkouts at 300 stores located in 45 states. However, by Tuesday afternoon, Starbucks stated that only 170 stores “did not open as planned.”

The union has dubbed the event “The Strike Before Christmas,” as it coincides with failed negotiations between Starbucks and union representatives, who had made some progress earlier in 2024. According to the union, they engaged in “hundreds of hours of bargaining,” but the proposals presented by the company did not satisfy their demands concerning wages and working conditions.

The proposed economic package did not offer a current wage raise for union baristas, instead promising a future increase of 1.5%, which amounts to less than 50 cents for most employees, according to a press release shared with YSL News.

“I earn $15.49 an hour as a barista. Half my coworkers drive 30 minutes one way because they can’t afford to live closer to work,” stated barista Lauren Hollingsworth from Ashland, Oregon, in a press release. “This is unreasonable. Starbucks has strayed from its values. We witness this reality daily in our stores.”

Starbucks Claims ‘Minimal Disruptions’ Will Not Affect Business Operations

The days leading up to Christmas are among Starbucks’ busiest periods, according to the union. This year, these days are marked by what the union terms the largest strike in the company’s history.

Starbucks spokesperson Phil Gee indicated that the “few disruptions” are expected to have a “very limited impact” on business operations.

In a statement released to YSL News on Tuesday, Starbucks mentioned that 98% of stores with over 200,000 green apron partners remained open and serving customers.

“We acknowledge our partners’ right to participate in lawful strike actions, and we value the support shown by the thousands of partners nationwide who continue to uphold the Starbucks experience for our customers,” Gee remarked in a statement acquired by YSL News on Monday.

“The union decided to halt negotiations last week. We are prepared to resume talks once the union returns to the bargaining table,” the company said.

Numerous Stores Participate in Union Activism

As of late last week, Starbucks Workers United warned that the strike could reach “hundreds of stores” by Christmas Eve. Union representatives claimed that 98% of union partners recently voted in favor of protesting against low wages, insufficient staffing, and inadequate benefits.

Starbucks Workers United represents workers in 525 of Starbucks’ 11,000 outlets nationwide, accounting for about 11,000 of Starbucks’ roughly 200,000 total employees. Throughout 2024, over 100 stores voted to unionize, including six new unions formed in the past week across Maine, North Carolina, Texas, New York City, and Seattle.

The union stated on Tuesday that its representatives are willing to return to negotiations to discuss issues related to unfair labor practices and wage concerns.

Starbucks has faced numerous complaints to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in recent years, including a case resolved last year in which the company was found to have engaged in “hundreds of unfair labor practices” during unionization efforts in its Buffalo, New York locations.

This article has been updated with new details.