Starbucks got a new CEO this week after Howard Schultz stepped down for the third time as the coffee chain’s head and a tenure marred by tussles with U.S. labor unions. Despite new CEO Laxman Narasimhan’s efforts to start off on the right foot by pledging to work at a store one day every month, unionized Starbucks baristas aren’t sold on it.
On Wednesday, unionized employees at roughly 100 Starbucks cafes went on strike to send a message to the company about its alleged union busting practices. Starbucks baristas formed their first union in December 2021, and since then, the movement has spread across the country to over 280 stores (albeit the pace has slowed in recent months). Starbucks’ Schultz was not a fan and repeatedly pushed back on Starbucks Union’s demands. Meanwhile, his successor Narasimhan told employees Thursday he plans to stay “close to the culture” at Starbucks by working a shift for half a day every month, CNBC reported.
"We're hopeful that Laxman Narasimhan will be the innovative leader Starbucks partners deserve; that he'll honor our union, bargain a fair contract, and let us help return this company to its stated mission and values," Michelle Eisen, a Starbucks employee in Buffalo, N.Y., told Fortune in a statement.
The strikes came a day before Starbucks’ annual shareholder meeting on Thursday, where investors will vote on a resolution about workers’ rights. One of the key questions Narasimhan faces is how he works to address the concerns of baristas regarding pay and working conditions. The meeting will not include members of the Starbucks Workers United and it’s unclear what Narasimhan seeks to do on the union negotiations front.
Starbucks leaves an empty chair at their Board meetings to represent workers. Thousands of workers across the US are unionizing so we can FILL that empty seat. So, in honor of Starbucks’ annual shareholder meeting today, we thought we’d remind them of how to do just that. pic.twitter.com/MzsxkMs5Ht
— Starbucks Workers United (@SBWorkersUnited) March 23, 2023
