'Red Cup Rebellion' SoCal Starbucks Workers Strike

LOS ANGELES, CA — Thousands of Starbucks workers across California and the nation walked out on the job on possibly the busiest day of the year on Thursday to fight for better pay, higher staffing and consistent schedules, according to Starbucks Workers United.

The one-day strike is happening in 100 stores across 25 states on Red Cup Day, a day in which the company hands out its signature reusable holiday red cups to customers who buy holiday-themed drinks. For many employees, it's a day to dread.

"It's honestly one of those days that a lot of ... baristas try to ... ask for off because it's always always a very insane day," Josie Serrano told NPR, who works at a store in Long Beach.

Strikers are handing out their own red cups with union logos during the protest, which was dubbed "The Red Rebellion."

Carissa Frihart, a Starbucks shift supervisor, described Red Cup Day to VICE News as "pure chaos" and "mentally and physically abusive."

Southern California stores participating in the strike:

• Figueroa & Cypress (Los Angeles) - 3241 N Figueroa Street
• 2nd & Central (Los Angeles) - 138 S. Central Avenue
• Candlewood St. & Lakewood Blvd. (Lakewood) - 4833 Candlewood Street
• Redondo & 7th (Long Beach) - 3390 E. 7th Street
• Katella & Anaheim (Anaheim) - 131 E. Katella Ave. Suite 10

Northern California stores participating in the strike:

• 4094 18th St. (San Francisco) - 4094 18th Street
• Mission & Dufour (Santa Cruz) - 1901 Mission Street
• Clares & 41st Capitola (Santa Cruz) - 1955 41st Avenue Space A-1
• Ocean & Water (Santa Cruz) - 745 Ocean Street

See the national map of stores here.

"This is the largest coordinated action of the Starbucks Union movement yet… and we’re just getting started," union organizers tweeted on Thursday.

Some 257 Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since last year, according to the National Labor Relations Board. In 57 stores, workers voted to not unionize.

To date, the union has initiated contract talks at 53 stores, with 13 session scheduled, according to Starbucks Workers United. No agreements have been reached so far.

"Food service workers across the country deserve better working conditions, and our union’s goal is advancing social and economic justice in our community. Our union’s values will be inclusiveness, compassion, joy, creativity, respect, and solidarity," union officials wrote on their website.

The coffee conglomerate opposes Thursday's unionization effort and noted that the protests are happening at a small number of its 9,000 company-run U.S. locations. It says it is aware of the walkouts and respects its employees right to protest.

The company countered with a statement Thursday: “We remain committed to all partners and will continue to work together, side-by-side, to make Starbucks a company that works for everyone."

But the road to unionization has been fraught with complications. Earlier this week, a regional director with the NLRB filed a request for an injunction against Starbucks in federal court, saying the company violated labor law when it fired a union organizer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The regional director asked the court to direct Starbucks to reinstate the employee and stop interfering in the unionization campaign nationwide.

It is the fourth time the NLRB has asked a federal court to intervene. Starbucks has asked the agency to temporarily suspend all union elections at its U.S. stores. Starbucks has alleged that regional officials improperly coordinated with union organizers. A decision in the case is pending.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.