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An update and appreciation for our partners this holiday season

Published on: • 3 min read

Happy Holidays Partners, 

I wanted to provide an update since my email on Friday about bargaining with Workers United. 

First, let me say thank you to all our green-apron partners, store managers, district managers and everyone across the company. More than 200,000 Starbucks partners proudly wear the green apron and bring the Starbucks experience to life in our stores. We know that the care and connection you provide are a meaningful part of the holidays for all our customers, our communities, and each other. Thank you for all you are doing at this busy time. 

Here is some information on what’s happened since Friday and what we expect to happen next.   

How many stores have been affected  

  • Over the course of the weekend and today, a very small number of stores were temporarily closed – approximately 60 in total as of today – because of the actions called for by Workers United.  
  • The overwhelming majority of Starbucks stores across the country have opened as planned and are busy with customers enjoying the holidays. 
  • We have over 10,000 company-operated stores across the U.S. that provide work for partners and serve our customers. 
  • Some of the stores that temporarily closed earlier in the weekend have reopened as partners sought to come back to work. 

What do we expect to happen next 

  • We anticipate that tomorrow – Christmas Eve – Workers United will seek to cause more stores to close and claim that their strike has reached “hundreds of stores in dozens of cities”.   
  • The public conversation may lack the important context that the vast majority of our stores (97-99%) will continue to operate and serve customers, and we expect a very limited impact to our overall operations.  

Our commitment to our partners 

  • Over the last three years alone, we have invested over $3 billion in the Partner Experience.  
  • Starbucks offers a competitive average pay of over $18 per hour, and best-in-class benefits. The combination of our average pay and benefits equates to an average of $30 per hour for baristas who work at least 20 hours per week.  
  • The vast majority of our hourly partners are working an average of over 20 hours per week, making more of our partners eligible to participate in our best-in-class benefits. 
  • These benefits include health care, free college tuition, paid family leave, and company stock grants.  No other retailer offers this kind of comprehensive pay and benefits package.  
  • Our turnover rates – the number of retail partners who leave each year – are among the very lowest in the industry. More partners choose to stay and continue to work at Starbucks than at other retailers.  
  • Workers United proposals call for an immediate increase in the minimum wage of hourly partners by 64%, and by 77% over the life of a three-year contract. These proposals are not sustainable, especially when the investments we continually make to our total benefits package are the hallmarks of what differentiates us as an employer – and, what makes us proud to work at Starbucks.  

The union chose to walk away from bargaining last week. We are ready to continue negotiations when the union comes back to the bargaining table. 

We will continue to keep you informed. In the meantime, thanks again for your dedication to delivering the Starbucks Experience. And have a wonderful holiday season.  

Your partner, 

Sara Kelly  
executive vice president and chief partner officer