Clearwater Starbucks baristas shut down store in Red Cup Rebellion
Clearwater, FL – Starbucks baristas and their supporters dug in outside the Starbucks location in downtown Clearwater as part of the nationwide “Red Cup Rebellion” starting on Thursday, December 11. Forming a picket, they chanted pro-union slogans such as “No contract, no coffee” and “Understaffing, lousy pay, that is how your coffee’s made,” they shut down the store for the duration of the strike.
Passing commuters, in addition to those who approached learning they would not be able to get a cup of coffee in the store, were supportive of the strikers’ demands.
The Red Cup Rebellion is part of a campaign by Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) to win a contract at unionized Starbucks stores across the United States. While hundreds of stores have been organized since 2021, Starbucks is refusing to budge. Starbucks, like many in the service and fast food industry, benefits greatly from its non-union workforce, which is under conditions that are entirely at the whims of management.
“We need a living wage and better hours, we can’t live off of four, four hour shifts a week in Florida,” said Jay Ciardiello, one of the baristas holding the picket down.
The Clearwater strike will extend at least through Wednesday, December 17. Hundreds of other Starbucks stores are being struck across the busy holiday season in December in order to put pressure on Starbucks and especially Starbuck’s CEO Bryan Niccol.