Starbucks Workers Take Action
Starbucks workers have been organizing across the country over the past couple of years. Hundreds of stores have voted to unionize, including several in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. At the heart of the organizing effort is the Starbucks partners themselves, the workers who make it all run from the drive-through, to coffee, to customer service. Union organizers are fighting for better pay, better hours, and against understaffing, among many other issues.
On July 17, 2025, at 12:01pm, the workers of the Starbucks store on Lincoln Highway in Lancaster County walked off the job and went on strike. The workers read a letter to Starbucks that was being read across the nation in a National Day of Action by Starbucks Workers United. The message from the workers was clear that they were the ones who made the store run and were therefore demanding better pay and conditions, and that they were not going anywhere.
With virtually the whole store’s workforce walking out on strike, the Lincoln Highway Starbucks in Lancaster had no choice to close for the day due to the work action. Workers chanted “No contract, no coffee!” as they picketed the store that afternoon. Customers expressed their curiosity and support while many cars passing by gave a thumbs up and sympathetic honks. Local members of the community even joined the striking workers in the picket of the store in a show of solidarity for their demands for better pay and conditions. Workers talked to us about the lack of hours, the understaffing, the low pay, the lack of protections, among many other complaints, all of which have been left woefully unaddressed by the company.
Surging Ahead
This was not the first time Starbucks workers had organized in Lancaster County. The Lincoln Highway store in Lancaster was actually the first to unionize locally almost 2 years ago in August of 2023. The vote was 11-3 in favor. That started off a wave of local unionizing efforts for local Starbucks stores in Lancaster.
In November 2023, the Park City Mall Starbucks in Lancaster had its employees unionize as well. They also had a strike at the time and picketed the store till it shut down. Two other stores in Lancaster have also since voted to unionize.
This is reflective of a huge wave of organizing nationally by Starbucks workers. The first Starbucks to unionize was in Buffalo, NY. In that first case in 2021 workers had voted 19-8 to unionize. This proved to only be the beginning. Now, about 500 Starbucks stores have voted to unionize along with over 10,000 of its workers.
Starbucks Stalling and Stonewalling
Starbucks has been actively hostile to its employees exercising their right to unionize from the beginning. It has even engaged in illegal and unfair labor practices in its attempt to crack down on organizing efforts. This includes illegal retaliation against its employees fighting for better pay, protections, and a safer workplace. Starbucks has also stalled by refusing to negotiate a fair contract with the union.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has ruled against Starbucks many times, finding different violations of labor laws in regards to its treatment of its workers. Workers engaged in the fight to improve their safety and material conditions in their workplace have a legal right to organize as such.
Some of the workers we interviewed said they feel Starbucks thinks it can take advantage of a less friendly NLRB under the Trump administration. But the message of Starbucks Workers United has been clear. No matter the administration, no matter the NLRB, no matter the president, they are not going anywhere and neither is their union.
Despite trying to pull out every trick in the union busting book (from captive audience meetings filled with anti-union messaging to illegally firing workers voting to unionize), Starbucks workers have been undeterred. Workers chanted “Venti, mocha, grande, double, union busters you’ve got trouble.” Workers decried the stalling by Starbucks when it came to negotiating with the union. Picketers chanted “what’s disgusting? Union busting! What’s outrageous? Starbuck’s wages! What’s appalling? Bosses stalling!”
Fair Contract Now
When asked what they hoped their actions would accomplish that day on July 17, 2025, the workers at Starbucks Lincoln Highway East said they wanted it to be a step in the right direction. They knew that Starbucks wanted to take advantage of the new administration to think they could stall even more with coming to the table. But this did not perturb the union organizers. They responded that they were not going anywhere until Starbucks negotiated in good faith with them. This message was articulated in the letter to Starbucks that was read before the strike.
The workers are the ones that run the drive throughs, take the orders, clean the store, take inventory, and help the customers. The workers are the ones that run the stores. Without the labor of the workers, the stores do not run, and the corporation accumulates no profit. Armed with this class consciousness, Lancaster workers are committed to winning their rights.
Conclusion
Workers picketed shutting down the store and sending a message to the company that there is no business as usual without them, and they were not going to be ignored. Picketers chanted “2, 4,6, 8, Starbucks come negotiate” and “3, 5, 7, 9, Never Cross a Picket line!”
Picketers also chanted “what do we want? A contract! When do we want it? Now! And if we don’t get it? Shut it down!” As Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” redistributes more and more working-class-generated wealth upwards, it is clear Starbucks workers will continue to be part of the national fight back.