(March 13): Starbucks Corp’s union says it’s made a new contract offer to the company and is working with the coffee chain to restart long-stalled talks.
“We are in conversation with the company about the road back to the bargaining table,” barista Jasmine Leli said in an emailed statement from Starbucks Workers United, which represents about 600 of the chain’s roughly 10,000 company-run stores. The union made a new comprehensive contract proposal last month, and the two sides are discussing how to revive negotiations, a union spokesperson said.
In the more than four years since the first Starbucks café organised with Workers United, the company and the union have yet to reach a collective bargaining agreement. The parties last met for mediation in April, after talks broke down in late 2024. This past holiday season, the union mounted what it said was its longest strike to date, accusing the company of refusing to fairly negotiate.
Starbucks previously accused the union of making financially unsustainable proposals, and said it was ready to continue contract talks if the union would return to the bargaining table.
Workers United’s latest proposal includes a US$17 minimum wage, 4% annual raises and a requirement that at least three staffers be scheduled to work the floor whenever a café is open, according to the union.
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