Starbucks union workers led a massive strike across the country including at least three store locations in Connecticut.
The Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) strike happened on Christmas Eve and impacted hundreds of Starbucks stores.
In Woodbridge, union workers came together to picket and strike outside of their store location.
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Nolan Wazni has worked at Starbucks as a barista since February of 2022.
Wazni explained he and his coworkers are demanding what Starbucks said it would do back in February of this year, which was to negotiate a fair labor agreement with the union, Starbucks Workers United (SWU) by the end of the year.
“They have not been bargaining with us fairly at the table. They actually offered us a 2% raise which is outrageous, that’s under the index of inflation, that’s a pay decrease for us,” Wazni said.
In addition to wage changes, union workers are also asking for an increase in staff.
Nick Quiles, who also works at the Starbucks in Woodbridge, described a typical shift as extremely overwhelming.
“The amount of volume Starbucks gets with the amount of people we have working on our floor, they don’t go together, they don’t go hand in hand,” Quiles said.
Union workers at the Starbucks at Corbins Corner in West Hartford also managed to shut the store for the day.
Ruth Larson from Wethersfield participated in the strike as a supporter for the union workers.
“It's important to go out and support - to really put pressure on - to show the company that we’re still here, still mean business and really want to see that happen,” Larson said.
NBC Connecticut contacted Starbucks for a comment, as well as the union, Starbucks Workers United.
