Denver’s unionized Starbucks baristas join escalating national strike

Employees of Denver’s unionized Starbucks stores went on strike Saturday to protest what they say is the coffee company’s refusal to negotiate over pay and address unfair labor practice complaints.

The strike organized by Starbucks Workers United started at Starbucks’ Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles locations Friday and expanded to include stores in Denver, Columbus and Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Barista Shay Mannik joined his coworkers on the picket line outside of the chain’s University Hills store Saturday morning. He said the group was “in high spirits” and had set up lawn chairs after the store’s management took away the location’s patio furniture to prevent its use by workers.

Mannik shares a home with a coworker and one other roommate but said he still spends more than half of his income every month on rent. He said he’s seen other coworkers walk back college plans and struggle to support children on an hourly wage that is barely above the minimum in Denver.

“They’ve entirely forced our hand to fight for a living wage here,” Mannik said. “They have the money, and they’re not investing it in the people who make their profits.”

Starbucks Workers United said in its news release that Starbucks submitted a proposal this month during ongoing contract negotiations that addressed wages but did not include immediate raises and guaranteed only a 1.5% raise in future years, which the union says amounts to less than 50 cents an hour for most baristas.

The union warned the strike will expand to include more stores every day until Tuesday or until Starbucks accommodates the union’s demands for raises and resolutions to what it says are hundreds of labor complaints.