Brian Niccol has been in the top position for a year Starbucks And promises to change after years of hard battles with the company’s emerging alliances.
“I deeply respect the right of partners to choose through a fair and democratic process,” Nicole wrote in a letter to the union last September. “If our partners choose to be represented, I am committed to ensuring that we interact sincerely with the union and the partners they represent.”
But for 12 months, unions and Nickel remained in Loggerhead state, with the most successful company union drivers in history being hampered recently, according to workers.
Since December 2021, there have been more than 12,000 workers at nearly 650 Starbucks stores across the United States. The fastest growing league sports In modern history. Despite hundreds of charges of damage, revenge and unfair labor practices raised by the Union against Starbucks, it is growing.
Since the bargaining meeting start In early 2024. But this progress has largely stalled since Niccol took over the company.
His first year in his work began with a new strategy for the company, which he calledBack to Starbucks”, outlines the emphasis on customer service, reduces waiting time for orders and improves in-store experience.
Nicole has commend The strategy, the company released this year all with record sales weeks on its fall menu. Six consecutive quarters Same-store sales decline.
But workers at Starbucks criticized the strategy, citing increased demand for workers, e.g. A personalized message must be written On customer drink orders, there is no need to improve staffing or payment.
one Poll Conducted by Starbucks Workers United and 737 Starbucks Workers Strategic Organization Centers 93% The policy changes under Niccol have not affected or worsened the customer experience, said.
“It’s obvious that ‘Back to Starbucks’ doesn’t work until we finally settled on a fair alliance contract with the hour, bringing home salary and protecting baristas need to do our jobs, and it won’t succeed,” said Michelle Eisen, a spokesman for Starbucks Workers Unity.
“Brian talked about simplifying the menu to make things easier for partners and hoping to get customers in and out of the store faster, but the changes in these changes have not done any of these things yet,” said Jasmine Leli, Starbucks Barista at Starbucks Store in Cheektowaga, New York City in December 2021. “We really need him to go back to the table to finish this contract so we can start turning things around.”
Riley warned that Starbucks could expect further action from union workers to force the company back into the bargaining table. Unions often use strikes and protests to address specific problems in stores.
“We will do everything we can to bring them back to the table so we can start solving problems with payroll, schedule and people,” Leli added. “We are people who work at the store and interact with customers day after day, and partners want to be part of the workplace change. That’s why the store joins the fight.”
Nicole’s high pay has been a criticism of workers and labor advocates. Nicole received it $97.8 million Total salaries in 2024 are 6,666 times higher than those of Starbucks workers, the largest salary gap between CEO and worker among the top 500 companies in the United States. Starbucks claims its average salary, including benefits for workers who work at least 20 hours a week, is $30 per hour.
“If you are Starbucks CEO, you will receive $96 million in four months of work, including $5 million in bonuses,” Sen. Bernie Sanders Write March on social media. “If you’re a Starbucks union worker, the CEO refuses to give you a good raise to pay rent and buy groceries. Starbucks has to end greed and negotiate a fair alliance contract.”
A spokesperson for Starbucks said in response to criticism of Niccol’s compensation: “Starbucks believe Brian has established himself as one of the most effective leaders in our industry, with a proven track record of delivering long-term value to employees, customers and shareholders. The majority of his reported first-year compensation reflects multi-year replacement equity grants, awarded to offset compensation forfeited upon his department from Chipotle, which are now directly related to Starbucks’ future performance.”
The same is true for the company Pay $3.8 billion Pay tribute to shareholders in the fiscal year 2024 through stock buybacks and dividends.
Starbucks Workers United criticize Nicole’s salary, his private jet use and $81 million Flowered by Starbucks June Conference Provided for 14,000 store managers and other leaders in Las Vegas.
The union was in the latest video Posted on Instagram.
December 2024, after the league claims Starbucks Backtracking Agree to reach an agreement.
In April 2025, the union rejected Starbucks’ proposal 2% Salaries increased, with 81% of union stores voting down due to failure to adequately address other economic interests and immediate pay raises. A new proposal has not been implemented yet.
Amid stagnant negotiations, Starbucks Workers Federation continues to grow to 648 union storesfrom 500 stores September 2024.
Diego Franco, who worked for five years at a Starbucks barista at a union store in Chicago, Illinois, criticized personalized bill changes when he said his shop was often inadequate, resulting in orders for a long time.
“If I were a customer, I didn’t care to read personalized notes on the cup when I had been waiting for a drink for 20 minutes, and as a worker, I’ve been blamed for never having a shabby slut,” Franco said. “It’s a huge misconduct for a lot of money, but the company continues to lose, thinking that Bryan or any of our former CEOs have answers.”
“I believe that if the company does want to solve the problems that are happening in their stores, that may have happened,” he added. “Where the company may see the bottom line, I see human experiences, human life affected by the work we do. So I hope to keep it and make it better, not just me and my colleagues, but people in the store.”
A Starbucks spokesman said: “Starbucks and workers United have held more than nine negotiation meetings in 20 days and have conducted five days of mediation with a federal mediator in five days. We have reached more than thirty meaningful agreements that important agreements must be reached on hundreds of topics to make our unification give them treatment, but our partners have prepared reasonable contracts. The table is done with the work.”
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