Starbucks workers today are set to expand a nationwide strike against the coffee giant, three days after a walkout closed one of the company’s locations in Burbank.
Meanwhile, with Christmas two days away, workers at four Amazon warehouses in Southern California are on strike over claims the corporate giant refuses to recognize their union and negotiate fair contracts.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing 1.3 million workers, announced their members in Palmdale, Victorville, Industry and San Bernardino voted to authorize strikes — a move that came after Amazon ignored a deadline on Dec. 15 to come to the bargaining table, according to the union.
Amazon workers represented by the union went on strike at 3 a.m. Thursday and joined Amazon union workers across the country who also went on strike.
“The corporate elitists who run Amazon are leaving workers with no choice,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement.
Eileen Hards of Amazon said in a statement that for more than a year, the Teamsters have continued to intentionally mislead the public — claiming they represent “thousands of Amazon employees and drivers” when they don’t.
“The truth is that the Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers to join them, which is illegal and is the subject of multiple pending unfair labor practice charges against the union,” Hards said.
Operations at Amazon facilities in California that would be affected include DFX4 located at 15272 Bear Valley Road, Victorville; DAX5 located at 15930 Valley Blvd., Industry; DAX8 located at 600 W. Technology Drive, Palmdale; KSBD air hub located at the San Bernardino International Airport.
The strike at Starbucks began Friday morning in key markets, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle. Walkouts are expected to expand daily and impact hundreds of stores nationwide by Christmas Eve, the union said.
On Sunday, union baristas in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis will join others who have already begun strikes in Los Angeles, Chicago, Columbus, Denver, Pittsburgh and Seattle.
Workers shut down dozens of stores Saturday, and their walkouts are expected to keep growing through the final days of holiday shopping before Christmas.
“The few disruptions we have experienced this week have had no significant impact to our store operations. Only a small handful of our US stores have been impacted,” a Starbucks representative said.