Members and supporters of Starbucks Workers United have been engaged in a sustained picket outside a Starbucks store in the Brooklyn borough of New York, a visual testament to a labour dispute that has now stretched into its third month. The unionised baristas are escalating their campaign by directly appealing to the public, urging customers of the global coffee giant to delete its widely used mobile application in a show of solidarity.
A Prolonged Fight for a Fair Contract
The core of the dispute remains the baristas' demand for their first union contract. Since initiating an unfair labour practice strike on 13 November last year, workers have been steadfast in their pursuit of what they describe as fundamental workplace rights. KC Ihekwaba, a barista from a Starbucks in Lafayette, Colorado, emphasised the ongoing nature of the struggle during a recent union solidarity call, stating that the fight for change remains active and their collective spirit undiminished.
"What we’re asking for has not changed," Ihekwaba declared. "We’re demanding livable wages, stable and predictable hours, and an end to union busting. Starbucks still has not delivered on any of that."
The Union's Growing Footprint and Strategic Shift
The labour movement within Starbucks has seen significant growth since the first union election victories in December 2021. Workers have now won union elections at more than 600 stores across the United States. Following some store closures, Starbucks Workers United currently represents approximately 11,000 baristas across 576 locations, with a further 15 stores filing for union elections just last month.
Recognising the financial strain that prolonged strikes place on low-income employees, the union made a strategic adjustment at the end of December. They scaled back the strike's scope, with most stores issuing a return-to-work notice to the company. The objective is to maintain a rotating strike force of several hundred to 1,000 workers, thereby conserving resources while channelling energy into expanding the number of unionised stores. Currently, about 1,000 baristas across nearly 50 stores are actively on strike.
The 'Delete the App' Campaign Launches
This new phase of the campaign was formally announced with a call for customer action. Christi Gomoljak, a Starbucks barista who recently helped organise a union at the Downtown Disney store in Anaheim, California, and participated in a walkout in November 2025, outlined the strategy.
"We have definitely made it known that we deserve a fair contract and union busting has got to stop now," Gomoljak stated. "We are calling on Starbucks customers everywhere to delete the Starbucks mobile app off your phone. When baristas get a fair contract, you can reload the app on your phone and then finally, use any gift cards that you might have gotten from the holidays. But trust me, coffee with a union contract tastes so much better, and it is worth the wait."
Broader Labour Solidarity
The campaign has garnered support from the highest levels of the US labour movement. Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest federation of labour unions, joined the solidarity call to frame the struggle in wider terms.
"Supporting our baristas as they take on one of the most powerful companies in the world … is an incredible way to make an impact," Shuler said. "This fight is about something way bigger than just coffee. It’s about whether we as working people get to live with dignity in this world that we make possible."
Starbucks Responds
In response to the ongoing industrial action, Starbucks has sought to minimise the strike's impact. The company claims that fewer than 1% of its stores have been affected, with more than half of those either continuing to operate or reopening shortly after strike action began. The corporation did not provide any comment specifically addressing the new app deletion campaign.
A spokesperson for Starbucks, Jaci Anderson, pointed to the union's decision to call for an unconditional return to work at most locations as a potentially positive development. "We see this as a positive step and hope it signals a willingness to return to the bargaining table," Anderson stated.
She added, "With more than 30 tentative agreements already in place, we’re confident we can move quickly toward a fair contract – one that reflects that Starbucks offers the best job in retail, with pay and benefits averaging over $30 an hour for hourly partners."
As the 'Delete the App' campaign gains momentum, the standoff between the unionised workforce and the coffee chain continues, highlighting a significant chapter in contemporary US labour relations and consumer activism.
