Chaos erupted in Brooklyn as Starbucks suddenly shut down its Park Slope store. Furious union supporters swarmed the cafe, staging a dramatic sit-in protest. Seven activists ended up in cuffs, making headlines and stirring outrage.
Protest turns heated!
It all started Tuesday morning. Dozens of workers and supporters gathered at 11:30 a.m. for a defiant “sip-in.” They accused Starbucks of a shady move—shuttering a newly unionized store without a fair contract. By noon, tensions escalated. Most demonstrators left, but a handful remained inside, ready to risk arrest.
NYPD confirmed seven arrests. The charges? Still unknown. Protesters, mostly former Starbucks workers and union allies, stood their ground, refusing to back down.
“Union busting!” workers cry foul
Jenn Skinner, a Park Slope barista, is convinced unionization sealed the store’s fate. “It’s just too convenient,” she said. “Our lease was up, but we unionized only two months ago!” She now faces a grueling commute to a Manhattan location.
City Comptroller Brad Lander voiced concern. “Starbucks must negotiate, not shut down stores,” he urged. “This move raises serious questions.”
A pattern emerges
Workers say they saw it coming. Since December 31, whispers of closure spread. Other unionized locations—like Williamsburg and Astor Place—had already shut down. This was no coincidence, employees argued.
Despite strong business, Starbucks pulled the plug. The Park Slope store, near New York-Presbyterian Hospital and local schools, was always buzzing. “This place is a community hub,” Skinner stressed. “And they just want to erase it.”
Starbucks refused to comment.
Labor fight heats up!
Just weeks ago, Workers United filed a federal complaint. The charge? Retaliation. They claim Starbucks targeted seven union stores, including Park Slope, as punishment for organizing. The coffee giant allegedly ignored bargaining requests and dodged transparency.
“They walked away from the table,” a striking employee fumed. “They refuse to negotiate. But we won’t be silenced.“
Big money, little pay?
Adding fuel to the fire, Starbucks’ new CEO Brian Niccol raked in a jaw-dropping $96 million salary—after only four months on the job! Meanwhile, union workers received zero economic gains in their first contract year.
“I’ve worked here for years, but I still can’t afford to live decently in NYC,” barista Brandi Alduk admitted. “We just want fair pay and a future.”
Christmas Eve walkout shook Starbucks
This isn’t the first battle. On Christmas Eve, over 5,000 baristas shut down 300 stores nationwide, striking against unfair labor practices. Workers United has since filed more than 90 complaints over contract violations.
