Dozens of pro-union flyers have appeared around Starbucks headquarters since baristas at 65 stores launched a nationwide strike — and the company is on alert for more action.
Employees say the flyers have appeared in hallways and bathroom stalls across the Seattle building this week, while some corporate workers whisper support for the baristas on strike.
The flyers first appeared just days before baristas launched a nationwide strike at dozens of stores in 40 cities to pressure the company to finalize their first union contract. The strike, which is the unionized baristas‘ fourth work stoppage in two years — and their third since Brian Niccol became CEO in September 2024 — began on Red Cup Day, an annual promotional event that offers customers a free reusable cup with their purchase and generates significant sales for the company.
“Baristas deserve better pay and staffing. SSC workers support a fair contract!” one of the flyers reads, referencing Starbucks Support Center employees, who work at the corporate headquarters office and are not unionized. It includes a logo for the Starbucks Workers United union and a link to a “solidarity pledge,” which urges supporters not to patronize Starbucks while unionized baristas are on strike.
Two corporate employees told Business Insider that during a Tuesday meeting, a member of Starbucks’ HR team instructed them to inform their team leaders if they observed other staff members taking pro-union actions at work — but not to intervene, because it could be considered “protected concerted activity.”
Protected concerted activities are legally protected for union and non-union employees and include discussions about wages, working conditions, and other employment-related matters.
A spokesperson for Starbucks declined to comment on the pro-union flyers, telling Business Insider in a statement that it’s “an exciting time to be a Starbucks partner.”
“This year’s holiday launch is breaking records, and yesterday we had our best Reusable Red Cup Day ever,” the statement said.
The flyers also took aim at Niccol’s compensation. One includes a meme which depicts a man sweating nervously as he decides which of two red buttons to push. One button reads “Raises for partners,” which is how Starbucks refers to its employees; the other button reads “$96,000,000 for Brian,” a reference to the CEO’s pay package.
Niccol’s pay package for 2024 was valued at $95,801,676, including a $61,538 base salary, $5 million signing bonus, and significant stock awards, Business Insider previously reported.
Niccol’s compensation package has been criticized for its high ratio compared to that of the average Starbucks employee. According to data collected by the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), Niccol’s pay package represents 6,666 times the median $14,674 salary of Starbucks employees, the highest disparity among companies in the S&P 500.
In August, citing cost-saving measures related to its ongoing turnaround campaign, Starbucks announced that it would give salaried employees a flat 2% pay raise across the board, rather than having managers weigh in on pay increases as they had in previous years.
Starbucks is investing $500 million in staffing, training, and support to enhance the coffeehouse experience under its Green Apron Service model, a spokesperson told Business Insider on the day the strike began.
Prior to joining Starbucks, Niccol served as chief executive of the fast-casual Mexican chain, Chipotle, where he spearheaded a turnaround campaign that saw the company’s share price soar more than eightfold.
Just over a year into his tenure at the coffee giant, Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” initiative, which has included a $1 billion restructuring, two rounds of layoffs, and a swath of store closures, has started to gain momentum. In October’s earnings report, Starbucks said that its fourth-quarter comparable sales rose 1% globally, driven by new protein-focused drinks — the first time in seven quarters that the coffee chain has reported an increase.
Even as Starbucks touts its comeback, the company’s long-running labor fight continues to simmer.
Since 2021, more than 550 of Starbucks’ nearly 17,000 stores across the US have voted to unionize. The union said there has been an increased interest in stores joining its ranks since the September restructuring and layoffs. However, the National Labor Relations Board, which certifies union elections, has not had the minimum number of members needed to issue decisions or take formal actions since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s term in January.
The company and the union have yet to reach a first collective bargaining agreement, and negotiations have stalled for nearly a year, with both sides blaming each other. The two corporate employees told Business Insider that it is unusual for staff in the Seattle headquarters to publicly express support for the unionized in-store staff.
It’s not the first time corporate staff have pushed back on policy: Business Insider reported in July that flyers objecting to the company’s return-to-office mandate also began circulating at the Seattle headquarters.
The new pro-union flyers have been removed from some areas of the Seattle office, the employees said.
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