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“No contract, no coffee!” Starbucks workers stand united against union-busting

By Editor-in-Chief on November 30, 2025

Thomas K. | Red Phoenix correspondent | Ohio–

^{Employees of a Starbucks in Michigan protest what they say is stonewalling by the corporation in negotiating a contract following their September vote to form a union. Their protest shut down the store at 5655 E. Pickard Road, in Union Township, on Red Cup day, one of the company’s most profitable. (Eric Baerren/MediaNewsGroup)}

Starbucks baristas from around the country have gotten together to exercise their collective muscle and stand against rampant understaffing and poor pay. Starbucks has been and continues to be one of the most anti-union companies in the United States, and as of February 2024, the National Labor Relations Board has docketed 771 open or settled complaints against Starbucks or its legal team, Littler Medelson. This latest “Red Cup” strike comes after 6 months of Starbucks refusing to acknowledge the demands of workers. Following months of bad faith bargaining and continued active strike breaking, ver a thousand baristas with Starbucks kicked off the strike on Nov. 13. As of Nov. 22, the strike is still continuing to gain traction as SWU announces another 30 stores are joining in on the strike.

Along with fighting for better wages and more job opportunities for the working class, the Starbucks Workers Union also provides communities with organizational opportunities. Starbucks exists in almost every corner of America and in some way or another has been in all our lives. All members of the working class are encouraged and welcome to go stand with striking Starbucks workers!

“Now, in a political struggle of class against class, organization is the most important weapon.”
F. Engels

As we are being constantly awash by news reports uncovering corporate plans to abandon the working class we must take every advantage to show our strength. We cannot forget that it is the workers at the stores that are providing us with such a service, not the company. It is the Starbucks worker that has served us coffee, it is the Starbucks worker that maintains a clean store for us to work in or study in. Workers who have been silent supporters of us over the years deserve our support, especially when facing a monster willing to spend $240 million on anti-union campaigns!

Stand Together!

Stand United!

No contract, no coffee!