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Starbucks Workers Continue To Fight For Union Contracts One Year After New CEO Took Office 

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Brian Niccol became the CEO of Starbucks one year ago. When he took the job, he promised to make changes for the workers and their fight for unionization. However, the union and Niccol are still at odds, according to the workers, and what’s been` referred to as one of the most successful corporate union drives in recent history, has been stalling. 

“I deeply respect the right of partners to choose, through a fair and democratic process, to be represented by a union,” Niccol wrote in a letter to the union last September.

 “If our partners choose to be represented, I am committed to making sure we engage constructively and in good faith with the union and the partners it represents.”

Since December 2021, more than 12,000 workers at around 650 Starbucks locations around the US have unionized, making it the fastest-growing union campaign in modern history. This growth has also come amongst hundreds of allegations of union-busting, retaliation, and unfair labor practices thrown at Starbucks from the union, according to reports. 

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Starbucks Workers United has made progress securing the first union contract with the company since bargaining sessions began in the beginning of 2024, however, the progress has since stalled since Niccol took over the company, the Guardian writes. 

One of the first strategies Niccol implemented was titled “Back to Starbucks,” which involved an emphasis on customer service to decrease wait times for orders. Workers organizing at Starbucks criticized this strategy as it increased demands on them without any improvements to staffing or pay. 

Starbucks Workers United and the Strategic Organizing Center of 737 Starbucks workers conducted a survey that found 91% of workers reported understaffing in their stores within the past three months, and 93% stated the policy changes made under Niccol either had no impact or actually worsened the customer experience. 

“It’s clear that ‘Back to Starbucks’ isn’t working and won’t succeed until we finalize a fair union contract with the hours, take-home pay and protections baristas need to do our jobs,” said Michelle Eisen, a spokesperson for Starbucks Workers United and a barista for 15 years.

“Brian has talked about simplifying the menu to make things easier for partners, and wanting to get customers in and out of the stores faster, but these changes that he’s rolled out haven’t accomplished any of those things,” said Jasmine Leli, a Starbucks barista since December 2021.

“We really need Niccol to get back to the table to finalize this contract so that we can start to turn things around.”

Leli also said that Starbucks should expect further action from unionized workers, as the location she works at in Cheektowaga, New York was the second store to unionize. 

“We are going to do whatever it takes to get them back to the table so that we can start to address the issues with the wages, scheduling and staffing,” she added. 

“We are the ones that are working in the stores and interacting with the customers day in and day out, and partners want to be a part of making change in the workplace. So that’s why stores are joining the fight.”

Niccol’s salary has also been a huge point in the fight for unionization. In 2024, he made $97.8 million, which is 6,666 times more than the average annual salary of a Starbucks worker; $14,674. This marks the largest CEO-to-worker pay gap among the top 500 corporations in the US. 

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Senator Bernie Sanders wrote on social media back in March regarding Starbucks: 

“If you’re the Starbucks CEO you get $96m for four months of work including a $5m bonus. If you’re a Starbucks union worker, the CEO is refusing to give you a decent raise to pay rent and buy groceries. Starbucks must end its greed & negotiate a fair union contract.”

In response to the criticism of Niccol’s salary, a Starbucks spokesperson said the following: “Starbucks believes Brian has established himself as one of the most effective leaders in our industry, with a proven track record of delivering long-term value to employees, customers and shareholders. The majority of his reported first-year compensation reflects multi-year replacement equity grants, awarded to offset compensation forfeited upon his departure from Chipotle, which are now directly tied to Starbucks future performance.”

“It would take less than what Brian made in four months to settle fair contracts with our union,” the union said in a recent video posted online. 

In December 2024, thousands of baristas went on strike around the US in what became the largest strike in the company’s history. In April 2025, the union rejected a proposal from Starbucks for 2% pay increases with 81% of unionized stores rejecting the offer for not addressing their other economic benefits and pay increases. 

Since September 2024, Starbucks Workers United grew to 648 unionized stores from 500. 

“I believe if the company truly wanted to fix the problems happening in their stores, it could have happened by now,” said Diego Franco, a barista at Starbucks for five years at a unionized store in Chicago, Illinois.

“Where the company might see a bottom line, I see human experiences, human lives that are affected by the work that we do. So I hope to preserve that and to make it better, not just for me and my co-workers, but for people who come in the stores.”

“Since last April 2024, Starbucks and Workers United have held more than nine bargaining sessions over 20 days and three mediation sessions over five days with a federal mediator,” a spokesperson for Starbucks said.

“We’ve reached over thirty meaningful agreements on hundreds of topics Workers United delegates told us were important to them. We are ready to finalize a reasonable contract for represented partners, but we need the union to return to the bargaining table to finish the job.”

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Starbucks Ends ‘Open Door’ Policy, Customers Must Buy Something To Stay 

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Starbucks was known for its “open door” policy where anyone could come in to use the bathroom or general cafe space to work. Now, the company is ending this arrangement and is stating individuals need to make a purchase in order to use the bathroom or utilize the cafe space. 

This new code of conduct will be implemented in every US and Canadian shop. In their announcement, the major coffee chain stated: 

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“Starbucks spaces are for use by our partners and customers – this includes our cafes, patios, and restrooms.”

The world’s largest coffee chain said they’re making these policy changes because they “want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable in [their] stores.”

The initial policy of letting people use Starbucks restrooms and cafe spaces regardless of if they made a purchase was enacted in 2018 after two black men were arrested at a branch in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company was accused by the city’s mayor of “exemplifying what racial discrimination looks like in 2018. They also temporarily closed all of their stores to conduct racial sensitivity training, according to reports.

Brian Niccol has been the chief executive of Starbucks since September, and this new code of conduct is just one part of the company’s attempt to combat the falling sales and profits from the fall. They will also be simplifying their “overly complex menu” and selling more affordable drinks. 

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The new policy will begin on January 27th across the 11,000+ stores in North America. Staff will be receiving three hours of training before this implementation as well. 

The new code of conduct says “that there should be no misuse or disruption of our spaces, no harassment or threatening language, no consumption of alcohol brought from elsewhere, and no smoking, vaping or begging,” according to the Guardian. 

Niccol said he wanted Starbucks to have a “community house experience where people want to be in Starbucks, spend time in Starbucks.”

The company will also be advertising free iced or hot coffee refills to customers. 

 “Implementing a coffeehouse code of conduct is something most retailers already have and is a practical step that helps us prioritize our paying customers who want to sit and enjoy our cafes or need to use the restroom during their visit,” a Starbucks spokesperson said. 

“This means our cafes, patios, and restrooms are for customers and partners. By setting clear expectations for behaviour and use of our spaces, we can create a better environment for everyone. These updates are part of a broader set of changes we are making to enhance the cafe experience as we work to get back to Starbucks.”

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Starbucks Scrapes Vaccine Mandate After Supreme Court Ruling

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A week after a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling temporarily stopped President Joe Biden’s workplace vaccine mandate — which required companies of over 100 workers to be vaccinated or tested weekly — Starbucks is suspending their COVID-19 vaccine or test requirement, they informed employees in a memo sent Tuesday.

Starbucks, which has over 15,000 locations in the U.S., told their 228,000 workers on Jan. 3 that they would need to either be fully vaccinated by Feb. 9, or accept weekly testing. The employees had to disclose their vaccination status by Jan. 10.

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“This is an important step we can take to help more partners get vaccinated, limit the spread of Covid-19, and create choices that partners can own based on what’s best for them,” Starbucks CEO John Culver said at the time.

While Culver said in the memo they respect and will comply with the ruling, he also expressed the desire to continue believing in the purpose of the mandate, while urging employees to keep getting shots and boosted against the virus.

“I want to emphasize that we continue to believe strongly in the spirit and intent of the mandate. Thank you to the more than 90 percent of partners who have already disclosed their vaccination status, and to the vast majority who are now fully vaccinated.”

The New York Post noted that Starbucks is still requiring employees to wear surgical masks instead of cloth masks. The company — which brought in a 2021 third quarter revenue of $8.15 billion — previously tried to incentivize vaccinations by offering two paid hours off for every dosage received.

General Electric, which has over 170,000 workers, has also suspended their vaccine and testing rules. Like Starbucks, GE encouraged their workers to get vaccinated. Eyes will now turn to see if other major businesses, such Target (409,000 workers) will opt to pull back or suspend their policies in place.

It’s already clear some will not be following the ruling, however. Bankers Citigroup and Goldman Sachs told Forbes they would continue their mandates, while Wells Fargo would continue its testing program as part of its vaccine or test mandate. Meanwhile, Carhartt — which employs over 5,000 — faced both support and backlash for intending to carry on with their vaccination policy.

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Due to the surging omicron variant, the coffee giant has had to reduce employee hours while experiencing supply shortages and sick workers. Other restaurant companies are dealing with the same – McDonald’s cut store hours by 10% on average at 40,000 locations.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), just 36% of U.S. workers are required to be vaccinated by their employer. That number has increased from 5% in May 2021. Meanwhile, 43% of workers say their companies are encouraging vaccinations, down from 66% in May and 55% in August.

Despite the low number of total workers required to be vaccinated, Forbes noted that, somewhat surprisingly, 56% of the 2,200 respondents to a Morning Consult poll said they believe employers should require mandates. Meanwhile, 33% disagreed. Across the U.S., 63% of the population is fully vaccinated, while 75.7% have received at least one vaccine dose and 24.8% have received a booster.

For Starbucks, a vaccine mandate isn’t their only worry. Workers in Buffalo were successful in two out of three union elections, becoming the first unionized Starbucks locations in the U.S. Others in major cities like Seattle, Boston, and Chicago are organizing to follow suit.

Starbucks Holiday Cups

Starbucks Holiday Menu’s Are Back; A Year In The Making

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While it may be too early for you to whip out the Christmas lights and yule logs, Starbucks is getting the holiday season started this week with the premiere of their annual holiday cup collection, and signature seasonal beverages. The start of their holiday campaign marks the beginning of a year long effort for the companies biggest annual marketing strategy. The holidays are always a lucrative opportunity for any business, and Starbucks is no different. 

The company begins planning their holiday campaign a year in advance; this includes making and finalizing cup designs, deciding what classic holiday beverages will be returning to the menu and what new additions will make the cut. The collection also normally includes a bunch of Starbucks memorabilia including tumblers, portable coffee cups, mugs, etc. This year, Starbucks has four main cup designs, which include Polka Dots, a “Merry Coffee” dancing design, a “Merry Coffee” striped design, and a candy cane themed cup. This years holiday beverages include the classic peppermint mocha, which has been returning every holiday season for 17 years, a toasted white chocolate mocha, caramel brulee latte, chestnut praline latte and the eggnog latte.

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“It starts very early. We’re already looking at next year now and our creative team, that’s combined with our customer insights team, talks through holiday season, at the close of the season and, actually, while we’re going through the season and it begins to develop what the customer wants to see,” Starbucks COO Rosalind Brewer told FOX Business.

As stated, the process begins a year in advance, and typically during the campaigns as they’re happening. This way Starbucks executives can closely monitor what products and menu items are popular and working and which aren’t, in live time. Additionally the company analyzes consumer feedback throughout the entire year and uses focus groups to run through extensive product testing and record genuine reviews of new potential holiday menu items. 

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Other cosmetic changes will include the in store menu’s going from green to red, as well as red aprons for the barista’s. One of their biggest concerns was for distribution of their reusable holiday Red cups that work with the Red foundation. Last year the demand for the cups was so high that they sold out within the first week of promotion. Most likely because part of Starbucks’ annual holiday campaign states that anyone who purchases a red cup can return it to Starbucks locations from Nov. 7 to Jan. 7 to get a 50-cent discount off holiday beverages/refills. 

“It will be quite festive inside the building, and what’s really neat about it is we’ve done so much work this year on in-store execution. We feel really good about having enough available red cups this year in terms of the inventory of the cups and the way our baristas, are able to customize and create these wonderful beverages for our customer base,” said Brewer.

From the business side, Starbucks allot’s separate training for all its baristas during holiday promotions so they become experts in preparing complicated specialty drink recipe’s in a quick and efficient matter. They enforce the same type of training ever autumn for the pumpkin spice latte rush. This training is mainly to prepare in store staff for the points in the day where there’s a rush of foot traffic and multiple customers ordering the same complex holiday beverages. The massive preparation is also to keep up with holiday coffee competitors such as Dunkin Donuts or McDonalds, both of which always announce their holiday menus a day or two before Starbucks in order to seem ahead of the curve. However, with Starbucks now fully branding themselves with their annual holiday promotions, it’ll be hard for competitors to keep up with the red cups that take over every holiday season.