‘Red cup rebellion’: striking Starbucks baristas urge customers to stay away

At a popular Starbucks in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill, hundreds of people, including workers, union allies and community supporters, filled the sidewalks. In 40F (4.4C) weather, picketers held signs, marched, and chanted « What’s disgusting? Union-busting! » and « No contract, no coffee! » More than a thousand Starbucks workers across the US walked off the job on Thursday in over 40 cities, marking one of the largest coordinated actions yet by the rapidly growing union movement inside the world’s largest coffee chain.

The strike, timed to coincide with the company’s lucrative « red cup day » festivities, is designed to pressure Starbucks back to the bargaining table after months of stalled contract negotiations. In Clinton Hill, many potential customers who stopped by for coffee were successfully deterred, choosing instead to support the strike. Those who chose to enter anyway were met with boos.

Kaari Harsila, a 21-year-old shift supervisor at Starbucks and one of the lead organizers of the rally, said the strike was among their biggest actions yet. « We’re changing red cup day into the red cup rebellion to show Starbucks that we are serious about our demands, » she said. Workers were heartened by the response. « I think we have had a great turnout, » said Harsila. « I am honestly so impressed by all of the support that we’re getting from the community and from people that come here and we are able to turn away. » More than half of potential customers, she estimated, refused to cross the picket line. Many of those protesting, she explained, were Starbucks workers, joined by « a bunch of allies that have come out from other unions » and local supporters.

Inside the store, however, Harsila said Starbucks had brought in managers and higher-level supervisors to keep operations running. « They brought in the regional and the district manager to work because they are scared. They don’t want to close it down. » « It’s looking good out here, » said Edwin Augustly. « It’s pretty empty in the store right now. I live in the neighborhood, and this Starbucks is pretty much always full. And today it’s not like that at all. »

(Adapted from Marina Dunbar, The Guardian, 14 November 2025)