Starbucks workers at a unionized store in Lakewood have been striking since 4 a.m. this morning, shutting the store down completely over claims of unfair labor practices by the company on a local and nationwide scale.

Baristas gathered before the sun rose at the store on Candlewood Avenue with signs that read, “This is the last straw” and “No contract, no coffee.” In less than three days, the workers voted unanimously to organize the one-day strike in order to speak up against unfair labor practices by the company that they say has withheld employee benefits that should have gone into effect on Aug. 1. The company has also cut employees hours and has delayed the union’s bargaining efforts, they say.

Aja Erickson hold up her sign as she and about 30 other protesters march in front of a Starbucks in Lakewood, Aug. 15, 2022. Photo by Thomas R Cordova.

“They’re playing games, they’re withholding benefits, they’re trying to starve us out, and it’s not gonna work,” said Tyler Keeling, who has been a prominent union leader at the location since early 2022 and has worked at the company for over six years.

The Lakewood Starbucks store was the first to unionize in Southern California on May 13 and they are the first in the region to strike as well. Workers in Santa Cruz also went on a three-day strike last weekend over the  same issues.

In a statement, a Starbucks spokesperson said the company respects the rights of workers to “engage in any legally protected activity or protest without retaliation.”

“We are grateful for each partner who continues to work and we always do our best to listen to the concerns of all our partners.”

Starbucks workers at the unionized Lakewood location have been striking since 4 a.m. on Aug. 15. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.

By 1 p.m. on Monday, over 30 people had gathered outside of the store to show their support, among them baristas from Starbucks locations in Long Beach, Teamsters union members, The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union and community members.

“It has been this unanimous joy from everyone who has shown up,” said Keeling.

Throughout the day, he said that some customers were upset to find out that the store was closed, others yelled that they were “working kids jobs” and some walked by pointing the middle finger at those on the picket line. The majority of cars drove by honking in solidarity.

The workers’ claims of delayed contract negotiations and unfair labor practices comes two weeks after Starbucks implemented new employee benefits across all of its stores, except those that have unionized.

The benefits, announced in May, included expanded training, improved sick leave and credit card tipping for over 240,000 Starbucks employees at more than 8,800 stores across the country and, according to a Starbucks spokesperson, “The law is clear: once a store unionizes, no changes to benefits are allowed without good faith collective bargaining.”

The benefits also included wage hikes that took effect on Aug. 1. Most employees received a 3% raise, and tenured hourly employees received higher raises depending on the amount of time they have spent at the company ranging from 5% to 10%.

“Partners still have access to all Starbucks benefits already in place when the petition was filed, but any changes to wages, benefits and working conditions that Starbucks establishes after that time would not apply and would have to be bargained,” the company spokesperson said.

“Workers United refuses to stand by while Starbucks cynically promises new benefits only to non-unionized workers and withholds them from our members,” wrote Lynne Fox, president of Workers United, in a letter to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz last month. In the letter, Fox waived the union’s bargaining rights to receive the benefits promised by the company but the unionized stores have not heard back.

Protesters block the drive way to the Starbucks as Jet Vanderlee, right, and Luke Higbee post up a sign as about 30 people protest in front of the coffee shop in Lakewood, Aug. 15, 2022. Photo by Thomas R Cordova.

According to Keeling, the Lakewood location has also tried to set contract negotiation dates with the company multiple times since they voted to unionize and they have been delayed. The workers classify the delay as a union busting effort.

“Starbucks has it in their head that we are some immature group of people who are just doing something, you know, for no reason. I don’t think they understand that we’re organized, we know what we’re doing and we want to get to the table so we can have a contract,” he said. “We want these benefits, we want to bargain, we want a contract, and we don’t want to drag this out.”

Long Beach, Lakewood Starbucks stores become first to unionize in Southern California