Starbucks strike expands, closes nearly 60 US stores

A five-day strike by Starbucks baristas had closed 59 stores as of Monday afternoon, according to the union organizing the workers.

The strike, which began Friday in Los Angeles, Chicago and Starbucks' hometown of Seattle, spread Monday to stores in Boston, Dallas and Portland, Ore. Workers in New York, Denver, Pittsburgh and other cities had also joined the strike over the weekend.

Workers are protesting a lack of progress in contract negotiation with the company. Starbucks Workers United, which began the unionization effort in 2021, said Starbucks has failed to honor a commitment made in February to reach a labor agreement this year.

The union also wants the company to resolve outstanding legal issues, including hundreds of unfair labor practice charges that workers have filed with the National Labor Relations Board. Since 2021, baristas at 535 company-owned U.S. Starbucks stores have voted to join the union.