A winter morning on a Connecticut picket line
At 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, a bright inflatable dragon rose above a picket line outside a Connecticut Starbucks. The dragon was smiling. It held an oversized coffee mug that read “Warm Wishes.” For the next two hours, baristas stood alongside educators from CEA, healthcare and service workers from SEIU, members of CT DSA, and friends and family who had come simply to show up.
That space carried for me a quieter personal resonance. My wife and I first met years ago at a Starbucks on High Ridge Road in Stamford, a moment she still insists was not a date. Like many people, I associate Starbucks not just with coffee, but with conversations, routines, and small moments that shape our lives. That familiarity is in part why this strike matters. When places woven into everyday life depend on workers who cannot afford to live where they work, something fundamental is out of balance.
As customers approached the store, several expressed frustration that workers were still without a contract and chose not to go inside, drawing cheers from the picket line as they turned away. One patron entered briefly, returned moments later to request a $40 refund in solidarity with the workers, and was met with another round of cheers as they rejoined the line. Chants of “No contract, no coffee” echoed between passing cars and curious pedestrians. The mood was organized, warm, and determined, even in the December cold. Humor was everywhere, but so was resolve.
That scene was not a novelty. It was one moment in a nationwide strike that has now stretched into its second month, becoming the largest work stoppage in Starbucks’ history.
What is happening at Starbucks
Since Nov. 13, Starbucks baristas represented by Starbucks Workers United have been engaged in a nationwide unfair labor practice strike known as the Red Cup Rebellion. The strike deliberately began on Red Cup Day, one of the company’s most profitable annual promotions.
Union baristas’ open-ended ULP strike began on Red Cup Day, Nov. 13, and has gained momentum and solidarity from supporters each week since. Over 180 state and local elected officials sent a letter to Starbucks calling for the company to end union busting and finalize a fair union contract.
Starbucks Workers United represents approximately 11,000 baristas at more than 550 unionized stores nationwide. Many of those stores voted to unionize as early as 2021. Nearly four years later, none has secured a comprehensive first contract.
Four years without a first contract
The Starbucks unionization effort began in Buffalo, New York, in late 2021. Hundreds of stores across the country followed. Yet despite years of organizing, mediation, and partial agreements on individual contract provisions, negotiations stalled again in 2025.
Workers say Starbucks has failed to bargain in good faith, pointing to ongoing scheduling instability, disciplinary practices, and unresolved unfair labor practice cases. Starbucks says it is prepared to return to the bargaining table, while disputing many of the union’s claims.
According to the National Labor Relations Board, Starbucks has been found to have committed hundreds of labor law violations nationwide. Those findings form the legal basis for the current unfair labor practice strike.
What baristas are asking for
They are asking for predictable schedules that allow them to plan their lives and qualify for benefits. They are asking for staffing levels that reduce burnout and ensure safe working conditions. They are asking for wages that reflect the cost of living in the communities where Starbucks operates. And they are asking for an end to union busting and the completion of a fair first contract.
At a Brooklyn picket line earlier this month, New York mayor elect Zohran Mamdani described these demands as “demands for decency,” not greed, during remarks aired by Democracy Now.
How much Starbucks baristas earn in Connecticut
Starbucks does not publish state specific wage tables, but job postings and wage aggregation data provide a reliable baseline.
According to Indeed, Starbucks baristas in Connecticut typically earn between $15.50 and $17.50 per hour. Shift supervisors earn more, often between $19 and $22 per hour.
Wages alone, however, do not tell the full story. Many baristas report fluctuating schedules, often below 20 hours per week. That instability directly affects take home pay and eligibility for healthcare benefits.
Starbucks frequently advertises that baristas earn an average of $30 per hour including benefits. Workers and union representatives counter that this figure combines wages with potential benefits and assumes consistent hours that many baristas do not reliably receive.
What that pay means in real life
In Connecticut, the cost of living has risen sharply in recent years. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a modest monthly grocery budget for a single adult now ranges roughly from $375 to $450. Housing costs are far higher. Zillow data show that median rent for a one bedroom apartment in Connecticut generally ranges from $1,350 to $1,700, with higher averages in Fairfield County and Stamford.
Utilities, transportation, phone service, and basic healthcare easily add several hundred dollars more each month.
A barista earning $16.50 per hour at 20 to 25 hours per week brings home approximately $1,400 to $1,800 per month before taxes. That income does not cover basic living expenses in many Connecticut communities.
The MIT Living Wage Calculator confirms this gap, showing that a single adult in Connecticut needs substantially more than typical barista earnings to meet basic needs without public assistance.
Is this the same across the country
The pattern is national.
While Starbucks wages are relatively uniform across states, cost of living varies widely. Workers in high cost regions face the greatest pressure, but even in lower cost areas, unpredictable scheduling and rising grocery prices erode financial stability.
This is why the Red Cup Rebellion has spread quickly, from major cities to smaller communities. The strike reflects a structural mismatch between service sector wages and the cost of everyday life.
Are Starbucks stores franchises
Many consumers assume Starbucks stores are franchises run by independent owners. In most cases, that is incorrect.
The vast majority of Starbucks locations in the United States are company owned. Starbucks directly controls wages, scheduling systems, and labor relations at those stores. Licensed locations inside airports, grocery stores, or universities operate under different arrangements, but the current strike targets company owned stores where Starbucks is the direct employer.
Responsibility for bargaining rests squarely with the corporation.
Corporate success and worker precarity
The contrast between Starbucks’ financial performance and worker pay has drawn national attention.
Starbucks reported more than $36 billion in revenue last year. Its CEO compensation package reached tens of millions of dollars over a short period. During the Brooklyn rally, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders highlighted that CEO pay was thousands of times higher than the median barista’s earnings.
Those numbers underscore what many workers experience daily. Even as corporate revenues grow, millions of Americans remain one unexpected expense away from financial crisis.
Why public participation matters now
Starbucks has said the strike has affected fewer than one percent of its U.S. stores and that customer traffic remains strong. That reality makes public participation more important, not less.
Retail strikes are most effective when paired with consumer solidarity. The holiday season represents a critical pressure point. Reducing discretionary spending sends a message that reaches corporate leadership faster than statements alone.
Workers are not asking for confrontation. They are asking the public to pause.
No contract, no coffee
The chant that echoed beneath that inflatable dragon at Danbury’s Starbucks, was simple and deliberate. No contract, no coffee.
It is not a call for punishment. It is a call for accountability. Starbucks has the ability to end this strike by bargaining in good faith and finalizing a first contract with its workers.
During the holidays, many people reflect on family, community, and the dignity of work. For millions of Americans, the defining struggle is not abstract politics, but whether working hard is enough to live where they work.
The inflatable dragon brought levity to a serious moment. The question beneath it remains unresolved. In one of the most profitable retail companies in the country, should the people who open the doors every morning and close them every night be able to afford a dignified life?
Until that question is answered with a signed contract, the message from baristas and their allies remains clear.
No contract. No coffee.
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David Michel from Stamford and is a former CT State Representative, 2019 to 2025, and worked with many labor unions and social justice advocates during his tenure.
davidmichel74@gmail.com