Layoffs cause dissatisfaction! Starbucks employees gathered in front of the headquarters to demonstrate!

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Recently, Starbucks 'global headquarters in Seattle's SoDo district welcomed a protest by baristas and union members.

At the end of September, Starbucks officially announced a $1 billion restructuring plan to close hundreds of poorly operated stores in North America. During this closure adjustment, the world's first baking workshop and SoDo store on Capitol Hill in Seattle were permanently closed.

In an interview with local media, the barista who had worked in the now-closed roasting workshop for two years said that the company only notified layoffs through a five-minute pre-recorded phone call. According to his recollections, when the store in which he was located suddenly closed, he learned that it was closed that day through a text message from the manager on duty. Then he learned that the store was closed permanently through media reports and chatted with the union."I actually learned that it was through social media." I only knew that I was unemployed."

The Starbucks union said the company recently closed a total of 28 stores in Washington State, 9 of which were located in downtown Seattle. As a large number of stores closed, many employees lost their jobs and they did not get any reassignment or transfer opportunities.

Local media in Seattle reported that Starbucks announced the closure of several stores in Washington State that it would lead to permanent layoffs of 369 employees. Information released by the Washington State Department of Employment Security shows that Starbucks 'layoffs will begin on December 5, 2025, and the reasons are all related to store closures.

According to union statistics, a total of 59 unionized stores across the United States have been permanently closed during the company's adjustment, but the company refused to release a specific list of closed stores. A series of decisions to close stores and lay off employees and the fact that workers who lost their jobs were not properly resettled by the company have aroused strong dissatisfaction among local employees.

As a result, union members and migrant workers recently gathered in front of the gate of Starbucks 'Seattle headquarters in protest and held high signboards to express their dissatisfaction with the company's decisions. The demonstrators said,"Our slogan is 'Hurt one person, Hurt everyone'. If Starbucks fails to fulfill its due commitments, we are ready to expand operations or even strike."

Starbucks responded by saying that its sales have declined for six consecutive quarters and store optimization is part of its operating adjustment. However, employees clearly disagreed with this explanation. In fact, in the past month, there have been many protests by Starbucks employees in Seattle, involving staffing shortages, low wages and retaliatory dismissals of union members.

The union also submitted a number of unfair labor behavior complaints to relevant agencies, accusing Starbucks of failing to provide temporary positions for employees during the renovation of Georgetown stores, and even suggesting that employees "can apply for public assistance" to make up for lost income.

In addition, according to the New York City Bureau of Consumer and Workers Protection, Starbucks suddenly closed more than 50 New York stores without prior notice to employees, landlords and other relevant personnel, and failed to provide employees who closed the stores with work in the same administrative district in accordance with relevant city regulations. A location believed that it seemed to be preparing to violate its legal obligations to employees at various New York stores, and a letter has been sent to it asking it to explain how it will comply with the city's labor laws.

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