EAST LANSING, Mich. — Snow is falling here in Lansing and 'tis the season for everyone's favorite holiday event - Starbucks Red Cup Day! This year's Red Cup Day comes with a special twist for Lansing residents as Starbucks workers in the Lake Lansing Road and Grand River Avenue locations are joining the national strike of Starbucks locations that are protesting Starbuck's labor practices.
Referred to as the Red Cup Rebellion, striking workers are protesting Starbucks practices of running understaffed stores, giving inconsistent and unreliable schedules and general disregard for employees.
Choosing to hold the strike on the corporate Red Cup Day has a double meaning. While the chain intended to hand out free branded cups to each person who ordered from the store, Starbucks employees are instead standing outside the storefronts handing out free cups reading "Starbucks Workers United," effectively turning the corporation's branding strategy against them.
Employees are hoping that Starbucks will meet them at a bargaining table to improve staffing and scheduling.
Starbucks Workers United represents over 250 locations and approximately 7,000 employees. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued 39 official complaints against Starbucks and over 900 alleged violations of labor laws.
Seven Michigan locations are participating in the strike on Nov. 17.
- 5655 E Pickard Road, Mount Pleasant, MI, 48858
- 2624 Lake Lansing Road, Lansing, MI, 48912
- 1141 E Grand River Ave., East Lansing, MI, 48823
- 17410 Hall Road, Clinton Township, MI, 48038
- 4585 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48108
- 300 S Main St., Ann Arbor, MI, 48104
- 120 S Zeeb Road Suite 101, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103
"Starbucks has continually stood up Michigan partners at the bargaining table, so it's time to stand up. We deserve better pay and working conditions, and we deserve to bargain a fair contract to achieve those," said Grace Norris, a two-year partner from the Lake Lansing Road location in Lansing, Michigan.
When FOX 47 reached out to the Lake Lansing location, they said they had no comment on the strike.
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