New York City: 14-11-2025] The annual tradition of Red Cup Day at Starbucks has been dramatically overshadowed this year by a major escalation in the ongoing Starbucks workers strike. On Thursday, November 13, 2025, the scheduled date for the annual holiday giveaway, over a thousand union members of Starbucks baristas called an open-ended Starbucks strike at more than 65 stores across 40+ US cities, disrupting one of the company’s most profitable sales days. Said as the Red Cup Rebellion by the organizing union, this action marks a bold strategic move to pressure the employer coffee giant into signing a first union bargained employment agreement.
Why the Starbucks Workers Strike? and what is No Contract, No Coffee
The massive walkout was organized by Starbucks Workers United, which represents baristas at approximately 550 unionized stores nationwide. The union states the strike is a protest against the company’s alleged refusal to bargain in good faith for a first contract, years after the first store successfully unionized in 2021. The open-ended nature of the strike signals the workers readiness to hold the line until their main demands are met.
The main demands of baristas union are as below:
Higher Take-Home Pay: Workers emphasize that current wages, even the average stated by the company, are insufficient, especially considering the higher increasing compensation of executives. They point out the significant gap between CEO pay (which reached $95 million for CEO Brian Niccol in 2024, a ratio of 6,666 times the middle level employee) and the baristas’ wages, which start at around $15.25 per hour in many states.
Guaranteed Hours and Improved Staffing: Baristas observed major under-staffing and a lack of consistent work hours. Many struggle to receive the 20 hours per week needed to qualify for Starbucks benefits package, which includes comprehensive health insurance and 401 k matching. They seek contractual guarantees for better staffing to manage the high volume of orders, especially on peak business days including Red Cup Day.
Resolution of Unfair Labour Practice (ULP) Charges: The union has filed over 1,000 ULP charges against Starbucks with the National Labour Relations Board (NLRB), alleging retaliatory firings, discipline, and illegal unilateral policy changes. Resolving these numerous legal disputes is a non-negotiable part of their demands.
In an effort to maximize impact, the union is urging customers to honour the demand lines of baristas which is No Contract, No Coffee.
Understanding Red Cup Day at Starbucks
To understand the strike’s timing, one must know the importance of Red Cup Day at Starbucks.
What is Red Cup Day?
It is Starbucks iconic one day only holiday promotion, traditionally held in mid-November, where the company gives a free, reusable, limited-edition Red Cup to every customer who purchases a handcrafted holiday beverage.
When is Red Cup Day at Starbucks?
This year, the promotion was scheduled for Thursday, November 13, 2025. It serves as the unofficial start of the holiday season and historically drives some of the highest customer traffic and sales volume of the entire year for the coffee chain. By striking on this date, the union ensured maximum business loss and more media attention for the Red Cup Rebellion.
Holiday Favorites and the Starbucks Menu
Despite the labour action, the launch of the holiday season means the return of seasonal favourites to the Starbucks menu.
These festive drinks are the ones typically promoted on Red Cup Day:
- Peppermint Mocha
- Caramel Brulée Latte
- Chestnut Praline Latte
- Iced Sugar Cookie Latte
The standard Starbucks menu, featuring classics like Americanos, Frappuccino Blended Beverages, and other various popular Starbucks food items, remains the backbone of the company’s offerings, but the high-margin holiday drinks are important for increasing its quarterly earnings.
Corporate Response and View
Starbucks has responded by saying it is disappointed that the union chose to strike instead of returning to the negotiating table, stating that Workers United represents only a small fraction (around 4%) of its workforce. The company claims it offers the best job in retail, with an average pay and benefits package valued at approximately $30 per hour for hourly partners, and maintains that the strike has had only a “minimal impact” on overall business operations.
However, labour experts note that while the number of striking stores is small compared to Starbucks, total footprint of over 10,000 company owned cafes, the action generates high-visibility publicity that could damage the brand’s reputation and obstacles in it’s important holiday business generating sales forecasting. The union is prepared for the walkout to become the longest and most serious in the company’s history if contract negotiations do not progress.
This open-ended strike, which began on Red Cup Day (Thursday, November 13, 2025), involved over 1,000 workers at approximately 65 stores in more than 40 cities across the country.
The cities that were confirmed to be impacted by the Starbucks Workers United walkout, which the union is calling the Red Cup Rebellion, include:
- New York City, New York (including Brooklyn)
- Seattle, Washington
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Dallas, Texas
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Minneapolis, Minnesota (including Chanhassen, MN)
- San Diego, California (including Anaheim, Long Beach, Santa Clarita, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Seal Beach, and Soquel)
- Columbus, Ohio (including Lewis Center, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington, and Worthington)
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Austin, Texas
- Portland, Oregon (including Beaverton, Damascus, Eugene, and Gresham)
- Chicago, Illinois (including Des Plaines, Evanston, and Geneva)
- Atlanta, Georgia (including Alpharetta and Roswell)
- Denton, Texas
- Farmers Branch, Texas
- Richmond, Virginia
- Mechanicsville, Virginia
- Redmond, Washington
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