CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Starbucks workers walked off the job Friday across the country and in Chicago and some suburbs.
The workers are taking part in a three-day strike at about 100 stores across the country that voted to unionize. Four are in Chicago. Two more are in Glenview and Cary. Workers are calling it a ‘Double Down Strike,’ saying the company didn’t get the message when there was a strike last month involving about a 1,000 baristas across the country that they called the ‘Red Cup Rebellion.’
They said they’re striking to protest unfair labor practices. They’re bullied, they assert, for union activities. Hours are being cut. Organizers have been fired.
Teddy Hoffman is a union organizer at the Starbucks on the North Side, at Clark and Ridge
“Even if it’s just 100 stores going on strike today, the fact that there are a number of stores that are going on strike for the first time indicates that partners throughout the country are more passionate than ever about this movement,” Hoffman said.
The workers believe the company has illegally closed stores over the movement, including a Starbucks in the Edgewater neighborhood.
“During this time when stores go on strike, I know that we have some customers who get frustrated for the inconvenience. If any of those folks are listening, we’re doing it because we care about them too,” Hoffman said. “This isn’t just kind of selfishly wanting more money. This is about participating in and moving forward the company’s mission and values that we all care about.
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