Unionized Starbucks' workers strike in Seattle, across the country Casey Martin November 13, 2025 / 11:21 am

Dubbed the "Red Cup Rebellion," workers at Starbucks cafes in over 40 cities took to the picket lines Thursday, calling for higher pay and better staffing. The nationwide strike coincides with the company’s popular holiday Red Cup Day, one of the coffee giant’s busiest days of the year.

“They told us we could get a contract by the end of last year. We did not. They did not come to the bargaining table in good faith, so we rejected their offer,” said Emma Cox, a barista and union organizer at the Starbucks in the heart of Seattle’s University District.

Now, Cox said, the union is waiting on the company to continue contract negotiations.

Workers say pay and staffing are top

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