Starbucks baristas begin striking in several US cities

• Unionized Starbucks baristas in Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle have gone on strike over a wage dispute with the giant coffee retailer.

• Starbucks Workers United said the strikes would spread across the country and last until Christmas Eve.

• The company argued the union had made unrealistic demands and said the strike had little impact on its operations.

Starbucks’ (SBUX) unionized baristas in Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle have quit their jobs due to a wage dispute. The union representing them said the strike would be expanded “coast to coast” and extended until Christmas Eve.

Starbucks Workers United said the largest coffee retailer is “backtracking on our promised path forward” after the union announced in February that both sides had agreed to begin talks to reach collective bargaining agreements and resolve litigation between them said that Starbucks “has yet to bring a comprehensive economic package to the negotiating table and hundreds of unresolved unfair labor practices remain unresolved.”

Starbucks told Investopedia In an emailed statement, he said the union had broken off negotiations early this week. Starbucks Workers United called for an immediate 64% increase in the minimum wage and a 77% increase over the life of a three-year contract, arguing that “this is not sustainable.”

Spokesman Phil Gee said the strike had had “no significant impact on the operations of our stores” and only a “small handful of stores” had been affected.

Shares of Starbucks, which have lost about 8% this year, were down less than 1% in Friday trading. The news follows yesterday’s announcement of another strike by some Amazon.com employees (AMZN) workers.

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