Tampa Starbucks workers join nationwide strike
Tampa, FL – On Christmas Eve, about 15 current and former Starbucks workers and their supporters picketed the Starbucks store on the corner of N Dale Mabry Highway and Linebaugh Avenue. Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) started an unfair labor practice strike on December 20 at a few locations across the country, building to a strike at all unionized stores. Tampa’s unionized store joined the picket line on day four.
“Starbucks has yet to remedy several hundreds of unfair labor practices, and then they also came with a very poor economic package in bargaining, so they started bad faith bargaining with us,” said Blake Smallen, a Starbucks worker and member of Starbucks Workers United.
Starbucks initially offered unionized workers a one percent wage increase, then they upped the offer to one-and-a-half percent. If the union accepted this offer, it would mean a raise of less than 50 cents for most workers.
Standing in front of the drive-thru entrance, picketers chanted, “No contract, no coffee!” and held signs with the SBWU logo.
“Starbucks doesn’t exist without worker labor,” Smallen added.