PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — On the final day of a five-day work stoppage, Starbucks Workers United says 5,000 of its members at 300 coffee shops in cities nationwide, including Philadelphia, have taken off their green aprons and taken up picket signs.
About 30 baristas and their allies circled in formation outside the Starbucks at 16th and Walnut streets in Philadelphia.
"We have the strength to make the coffee, and we have the strength not to make the coffee," said Noah Dixon, an employee at the store, where baristas won their union election about six months ago.
“We want Starbucks to follow the laws. They have a legal obligation to bargain with us in good faith, and over the last three months, they haven't been doing that — until this last bargaining session, where they came back with the exact proposal — the exact insulting proposal — of essentially a 35-cent raise next year."
Dixon says many regular customers showed solidarity with Starbucks Workers United.
"We see lots of mobile orders going undrank and being tossed, because they refuse to turn off the mobile orders, even though they know that many of them have to get thrown out — because tons of people see what is happening here and turn around," Dixon said.
Workers have also walked off the job at four other stores in Center City: 34th and Walnut streets, Broad and Spring Garden streets, Penn Medicine and 20th and Market streets.
“All across the city, five stores have been shut down for three days — and today, even more. It’s the largest strike in Starbucks United history and Starbucks history," Dixon said.
Starbucks executives say 97% to 99% of stores nationwide remain open.
“The public conversation may lack the important context that the vast majority of our stores will continue to operate and serve customers, and we expect a very limited impact to our overall operations,” said Executive Vice President Sara Kelly, according to a statement Starbucks sent to its employees on Monday.
Kelly said some of the Starbucks locations that closed temporarily over the weekend have reopened.
Starbucks says the average pay for workers is $18 per hour. That, coupled with benefits, including health care, college tuition, paid family leave and company stock grants, earns baristas who work at least 20 hours per week an average of about $30 per hour.
The company says the union's demands for an immediate 64% minimum wage increase for hourly workers, and a 77% increase over the life of a three-year contract, are not sustainable.
“The union chose to walk away from bargaining last week. We are ready to continue negotiations when the union comes back to the bargaining table,” Kelly said.