If you are a Starbucks lover, then you know what happens around this time of year. Fall drinks come out, then the much-awaited Holiday ones. But every year there is still more excitement to come after that, as Red Cup Day 2023 was November 16 this year. 

When you go to search about Starbucks Red Cup Day, you are probably expecting something along the lines of “Starbucks Red Cup Day History”, or “When is Starbucks Red Cup Day this year?” 

But instead, you are greeted with recent articles with titles such as “ ‘Red Cup Day’ protest will be the largest strike in Starbucks history” (CNN), “Starbucks Red Cup Day is shear stress for workers. We’re going on strike because of it”, (USA Today) “14 WA Starbucks stores join national Red Cup Rebellion strike” (TheSeattleTimes), and many more just like that.

Big promotion days such as Red Cup Day are a great income for Starbucks, as they cause a humongous flood of people to Starbucks doors everywhere. Obviously, all the hard-core Starbucks fans go to get the free reusable cup with the purchase of a holiday drink on the awaited day. But workers don't get to enjoy all the holiday joy their customers are enjoying, as they see it as a dreaded day of drink orders piling up, and sometimes abandoned when customers can't afford to wait any longer for their drink. And, worst of all, when the red cup supply runs out at a store, customers are outraged and take it out on the workers.

Starbucks has long dismissed workers' cries for help for better staffing and consistent schedules, making the job even harder.

The labor group has organized around 360 Starbucks stores. Even though it might only be a small percentage of Starbucks’ more than 9,000 U.S. locations, it is still a sizable amount, which you can assume Starbucks’ Corporate isn’t very happy about, as the company has downplayed the impact of the labor action. 

A Starbucks spokesperson said (in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch) "We have nearly 10,000 stores open right now delighting our customers with the joy of Red Cup Day. There are also a few dozen stores with some partners on strike, and more than half of those stores are open this morning serving customers." 

An employee, Juniper Schweitzer,  who has worked for the company for sixteen years stated “They have promised the world to us and they have not delivered.” 

Starbucks refuses to bargain over issues related to the stressful promotion days, which also affects the customers because with no additional staffing on promotional days, it makes the whole ordering process worse, but if additional staff were brought in on those days, customers could get their drinks faster, and the baristas be less stressed since there would be more of them to help with the chaos of Starbucks fans.

Employees have also tried requesting for mobile orders to be turned off on big promotional days like Red Cup Day since it is hard for baristas to keep up with all the business, but it, unfortunately, seemed like Starbucks employees didn’t get their holiday wish this past Thursday.

Here is also a good video that well explains the Starbucks situation: Starbucks workers to strike in largest work stoppage in company history

Sources

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/16/business/starbucks-strike/index.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2023/11/16/starbucks-red-cup-day-strike-union-workers/71592115007/

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/14-wa-starbucks-stores-join-national-red-cup-rebellion-strike/

https://time.com/6335712/starbucks-workers-strike-red-cup-day/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/starbucks-on-strike-red-cup-day-rebellion/