Sponsored message
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
News

Starbucks Employees Begin Three-Day ‘Double-Down’ Strike Across 100 Stores — 4 In LA area

A closeup of the Starbucks logo is seen through glass or in a reflection. The white-on-green logo depicts an illustrated woman with wavy hair and a crown with a star above her head.
The Starbucks logo is displayed on the exterior of a Starbucks store in a file photo.
(
Justin Sullivan
/
Getty Images
)

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.

Topline:

Employees at four Los Angeles County Starbucks locations walked out today, demanding better staffing, pay and health insurance. They're part of a three-day strike happening across 100 U.S. stores.

Where in L.A.? Stores participating in the strike include Little Tokyo, Cypress Park, Long Beach and Lakewood locations.

Why this is happening: In October, Starbucks Workers United had its first and only bargaining session. The labor group has filed at least 446 unfair labor practice charges against Starbucks.

Sponsored message

What employees are saying: Long Beach barista Josie Serrano strongly supports the strike, saying that Starbucks has been enacting policies to undermine the union’s efforts. Serrano says:

“Starbucks is doubling down on their union busting nationwide, they're closing union stores, they're firing union partners, and we're here to say that [if] they're going to double down on that, then we're going to double down on our strike.”

Reaction from Starbucks: Starbucks told the Associated Press it "opposes the unionization effort, saying the company functions better when it works directly with employees."

Go deeper:

At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.

Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.

This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.

That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Chip in now to fund your local journalism

A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right