Strike extended

Starbucks dispute escalates shortly before Christmas

The labor dispute at the US coffee house chain Starbucks has been smoldering since April - but the situation escalated significantly at the weekend. Shortly before Christmas, the strikes will be extended.

According to the Workers United union, employees in four other US cities joined the ongoing five-day strike. Employees have now also stopped work in New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis and an unspecified city in New Jersey. The strike began on Friday and initially affected branches in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle.

Demands "not sustainable"
Among other things, the union is demanding an immediate 64 percent increase in the minimum wage and a total increase of 77 percent over the term of a three-year contract. Starbucks describes this demand as "unsustainable". Starbucks and the union have been negotiating since April.

Strikes hit important Christmas business
Workers United, which represents more than 10,000 baristas, is threatening to extend the strike to "hundreds of stores" by Christmas Eve. This could severely affect the company's important Christmas business. 

Starbucks, on the other hand, stated that the impact of the strike would be minimal as only a small number of US stores would be affected. The company operates more than 11,000 stores in the USA and employs around 200,000 people.