CT Starbucks Workers Join Nationwide Strike on Red Cup Day

Starbucks workers in West Hartford and Danbury went on strike on November 16, joining the coast-to-coast “Red Cup Rebellion,” demanding the coffee giant stop illegally refusing to bargain with baristas over staffing, scheduling and other issues.

The strike comes on Red Cup Day, when the company hands out tens of thousands of free reusable cups, one of its busiest days of the year.  With no added staff, orders pile up and are abandoned, lines are out the door, leaving Starbucks workers to handle angry customers.

Workers have filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for Starbucks’ refusal to bargain around staffing on promotion days.

Over 9,000 Starbucks workers have voted to unionize at 360 stores since 2021. The corporation has refused to bargain any union contracts.

At the West Hartford store, shift supervisor Travis Glenney-Tegtmeier reported, “We are being told that business is growing by utilizing promotional events to draw in more and more customers. Simultaneously, we hear that Starbucks can’t afford to put more workers on the schedule to adequately staff those events.”

“We are being lied to and taken for fools, and we’re sick of it.” he said. Workers demanded Starbucks turn off mobile ordering on promotion days. 

The workers were joined by allies from the Connecticut Alliance for Retired Americans and other organizations in a solidarity action the day before.

In Danbury, the Western Connecticut Area Labor Federation issued a call to join Starbucks Workers United at the Newtown Road store for the strike, “fighting against Starbucks unfair labor practices, and in the fight to force them to bargain in good faith. No justice, no coffee!”

In New Haven, students held a solidarity leaflet distribution at the Starbucks on Chapel Street to alert customers of the union busting practices of the coffee giant.

Last year Starbucks barista Salwa Mogaddedi was honored with the People's World Amistad Award.

This year's Amistad awardees include State Senator Gary Winfield, AFSCME Council 4 president Stacie Harris-Byrdsong and Luis Luna, Husky 4 Immigrants campaign manager. Themed “It's an Enough is Enough Moment – Time to Organize” the event will be held Saturday, December 9 at 4 pm at the First and Summerfield United Methodist Church at 425 College St in New Haven. Tickets are available here: Tickets and Information or email ct-pww@pobox.com