‘We need a contract’: Starbucks workers rallying at Reserve Roastery

Baristas, elected officials, and community supporters are planning to rally at Seattle’s Starbucks Reserve Roastery on Monday at 12 p.m., demanding a fair contract.

Workers have cited understaffing, low pay, and retaliation for union organizing. The protest follows multiple unfair labor practice charges filed against the company.

“We need a contract more than ever. Starbucks says it can’t afford to pay us more, but they gave the CEO a new office and a private jet? Meanwhile, we are dealing with understaffing and being overworked,” Trent Lytle-Hogue, a Seattle barista of two years, said in an announcement of the rally. “Wait times are long, customers are angry, but the management is only concerned with enforcing the new dress code. Our union is strong and we are ready to do what it takes to win our contract!”

Specifically, Starbucks Workers United, the union representing Starbucks workers at unionized locations, cited an instance where three union organizers at the Seattle Roastery and SODO Reserve Starbucks were fired in August.

Additionally, the company refused to relocate baristas from the Georgetown location during a temporary remodel to neighboring stores, a practice the company used to commit to regularly when a store was temporarily closed. According to the union, Starbucks told these workers they are “welcome to seek public assistance” to make up for two weeks of lost income.

Starbucks responds to planned rally

“Starbucks offers the best job in retail with pay and benefits for hourly partners worth an average of $30 per hour and including free college tuition, comprehensive health care, and up to 18 weeks of paid family leave for part-time work,” a Starbucks spokesperson said in response to the rally.

Using Green Apron Service, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol’s plan to create friendlier cafes with a human touch when assisting customers, the coffee giant has invested more than $500 million to improve the in-store experience for both customers and partners.

“This includes adding more hours and expanding shift rosters so there are more partners working, especially during busy times, as well as smarter technology to help manage orders,” a Starbucks spokesperson stated. “Customers and partners are seeing the difference. These investments are driving record-low partner turnover that is less than half the industry average, record-high shift completion, and a growing number of partners recommending Starbucks as a great place to work.”

The rally is set to take place at Seattle’s Starbucks Reserve Roastery, located on Pike Street in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

“Settling a union contract would cost Starbucks less than one average day’s sales, but instead of negotiating in good faith, the company is stonewalling baristas,” Starbucks Workers United stated. “At the same time, Starbucks paid CEO Brian Niccol $96 million compensation for just four months of work in 2024, which is the biggest CEO-to-worker pay gap in the country.”

This is a developing story, check back for updates

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