By Sasha Weintraub and Rianna Morgan
In one of our previous articles, we spoke about the Starbucks strike, also known as the Red Cup Rebellion. Today, we not only have an update on this strike, but will recognize new, ongoing strikes happening in other industries. There are strikes happening worldwide, and we’d like to make some that are going on in our community known.
Looking into the Healthcare Field
As of recently, nursing strikes have become more frequent. We found two strikes going on: one at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc, MI, and one at University Medical Center in New Orleans, LA.
750+ nurses are participating in the Henry Ford Genesys Hospital strike, and have been since September 1, 2025. The workers are fighting for stronger staffing protections and guarantees that nurses can return to their original schedules and positions. Parts of the Henry Ford Health proposed contract were enforced including wage increases of up to 13%, new shift differentials, and the maintenance of prior nurse-to-patient ratios. Union leaders continue to challenge unfair actions through complaints with the National Labor Relations Board. Now more than eight months in, the strike is one of the longest running nursing strikes in the US.
Meanwhile at University Medical Center, nurses started a five day strike on May 1st. The strike launched after two-plus years of dragged out contract talks and filing an Unfair Labor Practice charge against LCMC Health and UMCNO management. The union says nurses are walking out due to unresolved issues, being short-staffed, unsafe working conditions, and heavy workloads, all of which they argue are undermining patient care.
Strike in the Food Industry
Earlier this year, in Greeley, Colorado, over 3,800 meatpacking workers began a strike against JBS Foods, one of the world's largest food producers. This strike was the result of unfair and dangerous labor conditions and low wages. The company and UFCW Local 7 union — a union assisting workers in legal settlements — had been discussing and negotiating the issue for eight months before workers officially launched the strike on March 16th, 2026. Workers and union members claimed that the company "doesn't follow the law” and that they are “violating workers rights as well as human rights,” according to Kim Cordova, President of UFCW Local 7. Wages were too low and did not support the cost of living in today’s economy.
Prior to the strike, the company had ignored worker wages and increased the prices of their consumer products, noting that “...beef prices have set record highs due to strong demand from consumers and historically low U.S. cattle supplies,” according to Tom Polansek and Chandni Shah, journalists for Reuters. Workers believed that these conditions were unfair and began fighting for wage increases because of the rise in healthcare costs. Workers also fought for the company to pay for personal protective equipment (PPE), like metal aprons that prevent workers from cutting themselves, since workers were previously required to pay for their equipment which came out of their own salaries.
After a month of protesting and fighting for better conditions, JBS Foods finally responded to their petitions. The company agreed to an additional $1.50 an hour as well as a change to their previous system of replacing PPE when it was lost, damaged, or stolen. Before the agreement, JBS Foods was charging employees up to $1,100 to pay for mesh vests, gloves, arm guards, and knife sharpeners. After the policy was settled, JBS Foods agreed to reimburse their workers for all out of pocket PPE expenses that they paid over the last year, and promised that workers would no longer be charged for replacements of these tools. 93% of workers approved of the two-year contract running until April of 2028, and decided to return to work in early April of 2026.
Update on the Starbucks Strike
Previously, we spoke about the Starbucks barista strike, otherwise known as the Red Cup Rebellion. As of March 2026, workers at 10 NYC locations have silently returned to working, marking the end of their almost 3-month long strike. Workers in places such as Philadelphia and Seattle continue to protest to hold the strike together. While the strike didn’t succeed in forcing management back to the bargaining table, some claim that the strike was somewhat of a success. They say that the strike brought the union together, gained new leaders through the strike, and learned their capability as a group. 20 stores across the country took part in the Red Cup Rebellion, a significant increase from prior attempts, and workers said they’re returning to work proudly due to their personal gains from the strike.