By Sasha Weintraub, Rianna Morgan, & Hannah Varughese
On Thursday, November 13th, 2025, baristas at over 65 Starbucks across the US went on strike. Known as the "Red Cup Rebellion," it is the largest strike in the company's history. Currently, over 1,000 workers continue to demand fair contracts with higher pay, consistent staffing, and better hours. Along with this, they are protesting to fairly resolve 700+ unfair labor practice charges. The major locations participating in this strike are New York, Pennsylvania, California, Georgia, Tennessee, and Arizona.
Overview
For six months prior to November 13th, Starbucks employees demanded a fair union contract and better work conditions. These include better staffing, higher pay, and a resolution to the many unfair labor practice (ULP) charges. As a result of Starbucks refusing to address these workers' demands, the workers started a strike. The Red Cup Rebellion gets its name from the annual "Red Cup Day," a promotion run by Starbucks during the holiday season.
Costs are rising faster than the baristas’ pay check, driving their protests. Many Starbucks baristas rely on SNAP and medicaid because they don’t receive enough hours to pay their bills or qualify for other benefits. Now with major cuts to government services, these workers are struggling to get by. The average barista works 19 hours a week, one hour short of company benefits.
Company vs Employees
Through all this, Starbucks isn’t simply ignoring the media. The company claimed that the union “proposes pay increases of 65% immediately and 77% over three years.” This, according to the union, is entirely false.
According to ABC news, Starbucks Spokesperson Jaci Anderson put the union at fault for not bargaining with the company. Anserson says, “We are disappointed that Workers United, who only represents around 4% of our partners, has voted to authorize a strike instead of returning to the bargaining table.” Furthermore, Anderson adds, “Any agreement needs to reflect the reality that Starbucks already offers the best job in retail, including more than $30 an hour on average in pay and benefits for hourly partners.”
Recent Activity
In early December, Zohran Mamdani, the newly elected mayor of New York, and Bernie Sanders, the U.S. Senator, joined Brooklyn picket lines in solidarity. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, states, “These are not demands of greed- these are demands of decency.” Sanders adds, “Starbucks has refused to sit down and negotiate a fair contract.”
On December 11th, the Red Cup Rebellion grew to over 3,800 baristas across 130 cities from the starting 1,000 protestors.
On December 15th, around 30 Union members and baristas were detained and arrested outside of a Starbucks facility in Nevada. Police say they blocked the main truck entrance to a Starbucks roasting plant. Later that day, 12 baristas and two allies of the protest were detained during a strike in York County.
How can we help?
To help, you can sign the “No Contract, No Coffee” pledge, read articles on the Red Cup Rebellion, and stay up to date with the current events. Though some of these options may seem drastic for us teens, how you take action is completely your decision. You can do as little as simply avoiding buying Starbucks products, and as much as attending public protests.