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Starbucks has truly been at the center of a whirlwind this past week. The biggest news making headlines everywhere has been the massive strike launched by Starbucks baristas—dubbed the Red Cup Rebellion—timed right as the company’s annual Red Cup Day promo hit on November 13. According to Labor Notes and In These Times, thousands of unionized workers in at least 65 stores across over 40 U.S. cities walked out, protesting what they called unfair labor practices, pay stub drama, and chronic understaffing. The energy has been electric on the picket lines, and the union, Starbucks Workers United, says this could become the company’s longest and largest labor strike in history. Their demands are clear: better pay, more predictable hours, fewer unresolved complaints over labor practices—issues that have been brewing since the first union wins in Buffalo back in 2021.

Meanwhile, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol, still fairly new to the role after coming over from Chipotle, is steering the company through choppy waters. His cost-cutting tactics have included shutting down hundreds of underperforming stores and rolling out major job cuts, moves that haven’t exactly inspired confidence among the workforce or, apparently, Wall Street. The company insists it’s willing to talk but claims union pay demands—like that headline-grabbing 65% wage hike—would be a tall order to fill. Not lost in the shuffle: the fact that Red Cup Day brings in swarms of caffeine lovers, amplifying the impact of the strike.

Social media turned up the heat when New York City’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani threw his support behind the baristas, using his million-strong X following to call for a Starbucks boycott until a contract is in place. That made waves across feeds, with hashtags like #NoContractNoCoffee trending and picket line videos going viral. Customers are being asked to pledge money and solidarity at nocontractnocoffee.org. Some sympathy strikes from delivery drivers and nonunion workers have been rumored but are, as yet, unconfirmed, according to The National Law Review.

Amid the labor unrest, Starbucks also faced a consumer frenzy over the limited-release Bearista Cup, a teddy-bear-themed tumbler that went viral and quickly sold out, fueling gripes from fans and claims (unverified) that employees snagged much of the inventory for themselves. Starbucks publicly apologized, promising they’d shipped more Bearista Cups than nearly any other item this season, but still underestimated the hype, according to Fortune.

On the business front, Starbucks shares have dipped 12% from last year, as reported by amNY and Mizuho’s analyst notes, with some skepticism voiced about whether glossy store renovations will be enough to bring customers back. Internationally, Starbucks is forging ahead in China, scaling up locations through a partnership with Boyu Capital and doubling down on product localization.

In summary, Starbucks finds itself in a defining moment—facing its biggest labor showdown to date, soaring product demand, and a growing chorus of critics and supporters both on the street and online. All eyes are on whether management will cool things down at the bargaining table, or if this caffeinated clash will go into extra innings.

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Starbucks Strikes: Baristas Brew Up a Red Cup Rebellion

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