If you are a customer of a particular Starbucks in Downtown Columbia, it may take a little longer to get your favorite latte because workers are on strike.

“Literally everybody from our store is on strike,” said Sophie Ryan, a Starbucks barista.

Workers at the Starbucks on Millwood Avenue have been on the sidewalk for three days - protesting retaliation they’ve gotten since starting the process to form a union.

“We had some partners who were denied transfer requests. We had partners who were denied promotions. On Wednesday our store manager was fired,” said Ryan.

They are trying to form a union so their voices will be heard. They got the idea from other Starbucks workers across the country forming unions.

"Just being able to have a seat at the table with the higher-ups, discussing those things would be immense for us,” said Ryan.

They say more than 75% of employees at the store signed the petition to start the union. WACH FOX News reached out to Starbucks officials and has not heard back. The process of becoming a union is close to being done.

“You file for your petition as well as release a public statement and from there it’s mailing out ballots, mail-in ballots, vote count. Our vote count is May 26,” said Ryan.

Other unions are backing them.

“We and 32 other locals in South Carolina are behind the Starbucks Millwood Avenue crew and other Starbucks stores who feel the need to go ahead and unionize to get basic living rights,” said Leigh Vandegrift with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations

Workers say the strike caused the business to close early Wednesday and shut completely Thursday, but Friday the drive-through was open.

“Unfortunately they brought in partners from another store to work our drive through,” said Ryan.

The votes for if they’ll be able to form a union will be counted next week on May 26.