Starbucks Workers File Labor Complaints As Unions Stage The Largest Strike In History

(CTN News) – 32 more Starbucks workers in New York City have filed complaints alleging that their employer violated labor laws.

According to New York’s Fair Workweek law, employers must provide their employees with regular schedules from week to week, 14 days’ notice of their scheduled hours, and extra pay for shift changes. Since February, Starbucks baristas have filed nearly 90 complaints with the city alleging violations of the law.

As Starbucks baristas strike across more than 200 locations nationwide on Red Cup day, the allegations come amid a busy time for the company. When you purchase anything from during the holiday season, you will receive a reusable red cup that bears the company’s logo.

According to Starbucks Workers United, the strike is protesting understaffing at its locations, particularly on promotion days.

Starbucks workers are also demanding that mobile ordering be turned off on future promotion days.

It has become increasingly important to Starbucks’ business to offer convenient mobile ordering, as customers increasingly prefer to order their drinks via smartphones rather than waiting in drive-thrus or stores. Nevertheless, mobile orders can overwhelm baristas, especially when the company offers discounts or freebies. In the company’s latest quarter, mobile orders and deliveries accounted for a third of its sales.

In the two years since’ first union election, more than 360 of ‘ roughly 9,000 company-owned locations have voted to unionize. Nevertheless, Starbucks has not reached a collective bargaining agreement with any location.

As for Starbucks, it is automating boring tasks and raising wages to improve workers’ jobs. At the beginning of next year, the chain said it would increase employees’ wages by at least 3%.

The company is constantly striving to improve our partners’ experience and make their jobs easier, Starbucks Chief Technology Officer Deborah Hall Lefevre said at the company’s investor update in New York City on Nov. 2.

According to’ chief partner officer, Sara Kelly, the company has made “significant progress” in increasing scheduled hours, and its scheduling software will consider barista preferences.

Starbucks has previously been in trouble with New York City. City officials sued the company in 2022 for firing a barista involved in union organizing, alleging that his dismissal violated the “just cause” provision of the law.

The company may face a big fine if the workers’ allegations are proven. To settle Fair Workweek violations, Chipotle paid $20 million to workers and $1 million to the city last year.

The Fair Work Week law was passed by the City of New York in order to ensure that workers like myself can support our families,” said Alberto Oliart, a barista in Brooklyn. Unfortunately, Starbucks is violating the law blatantly.”

SEE ALSO:

Thailand to Secures $8.5 bln Worth of Investment from AWS, Google, Microsoft