This morning I opened The Seattle Times and got a master class in U.S. labor politics: front-page coverage of striking baristas, and on the back, a Starbucks PR ad trying to bury their demands.
You couldn’t ask for a clearer picture of how power operates — workers taking collective action on one side, and a corporation on the other side telling you everything is warm, cozy, and under control. Starbucks even claimed to be “celebrating” their baristas. Not with fair pay. Not with better hours. Not by ending union busting.
But with a full-page ad offering nothing more than a pat on the head. The ad read:
“Here’s to baristas who make the season bright…
Every day, we invest in their well-being with industry-leading pay and benefits…
Here’s to our partners who make the season — and every day — bright.”
Nothing says “holiday cheer” like refusing workers a contract and then gaslighting them with a full-page ad about what a wonderful employer you are.
And the Times story itself aided the Starbucks spin machine. Halfway through the story, the Times finally mentions the union’s demands — “increased hours, higher take-home pay and resolution of labor law violations” — but only in one brief line, with no explanation of what’s behind them. By failing to meaningfully explain union’s core demands, the Times handed Starbucks the story and left readers absorbing the company’s PR instead of the truth from the workers.
Here’s some of what was missing from the article:
Starbucks backtracked on a previously agreed path toward a contract.
The company imposed new policies without bargaining, including “Back to Starbucks” and a restrictive new dress code.
Workers have filed over 100 new unfair labor practice charges in the last year.
In addition here is some context to the worker’s demands as specified by the Starbucks Worker’s United union:
Better hours
Chronic understaffing burns out workers and delays customers, while many baristas still can’t get enough hours to pay rent or qualify for benefits.Higher take-home pay
Executives make millions. Baristas juggle multiple jobs to survive.Accountability for union busting
Starbucks has committed more labor law violations than any employer in modern U.S. history. There are hundreds of unresolved unfair labor practice charges.
Without that context, Starbucks’ full-page holiday ad ends up telling the story — and silencing the truth.
And it’s especially jarring in Seattle — one of the most unaffordable cities in the country, and the birthplace of Starbucks. The baristas who fuel the city’s daily life — serving teachers, tech workers, tourists, and all of us — can’t afford to live in the communities they keep running.
But this moment is bigger than Starbucks. We are living through one of the most unequal eras in U.S. history. The workers on the picket line are fighting for a future where working people have power, dignity, and a place to call home.
Supporting this strike isn’t just about coffee.
It’s about choosing which side you’re on in one of the defining labor battles of our time.
If you truly want to appreciate baristas this holiday season:
Boycott Starbucks.
Show up to a picket-line and rally in support of the workers
Add your name to support the union: https://sbworkersunited.org/take-action/
Follow @SBWorkersUnited for updates, picket info, and ways to get involved.
A new labor movement is already brewing — and this strike is just the first strong cup.
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