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LVDSA's Starbucks Solidarity Toolkit - No Contract No Coffee
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Toolkit

No Contract, No Coffee!

LVDSA’s Starbucks Solidarity Toolkit

Union Starbucks baristas are in the middle of the longest unfair labor practice (ULP) strike in Starbucks history, and workers on the line are holding it down every single day. Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) has reached out asking DSA to once again mobilize our members for support!

This toolkit explains the background of SBWU’s contract fight, the 7 actions you can take to support workers immediately, guidelines for joining a picket line, guidelines for leafleting at non-unionized stores, plus additional tips and resources.

Background

Thousands of baristas at over 125 stores (and growing!) are out on a ULP strike because Starbucks keeps refusing to stop union busting and settle a fair contract. For four years, the company has stalled bargaining, cut hours, fired union leaders, and racked up hundreds of labor law violations. Baristas are done waiting, and they are asking the public to stand with them.

Baristas are fighting for stable hours, higher take home pay, and a real end to Starbucks’ illegal union busting. A fair contract would cost the company less than one day of sales, yet workers are still being pushed to the edge just to be heard.

The workers have momentum. More stores are joining the strike. Picket lines are growing. Community support is rising in city after city. Everywhere baristas and allies show up, people listen, learn why workers are striking, and choose to act in solidarity.

And right now, one of the most impactful ways to support baristas is by hosting Stop Buying Starbucks actions. These actions are simple and powerful. Show up at a non union Starbucks store, have a conversation with customers, share a short flyer, and invite people to stop buying Starbucks. Bring friends, signs, or warm drinks to help make the space welcoming and visible. Every action strengthens the strike and helps shift public pressure onto Starbucks.

Every day these baristas stay out, the movement gets stronger. Customers, community members, and allies are lining up behind workers and building pressure that a multibillion-dollar corporation cannot ignore. Whether on a picket line, at a community action, or in a conversation outside a store, people are stepping up because they know baristas deserve better.

Until Starbucks comes to the table with real proposals that meet workers' needs, the call from baristas is clear: No Contract, No Coffee.

If you haven’t yet, click here to let us know how you’re interested in supporting SBWU workers and we’ll send you updates on events.

7 Ways to Support the Workers

Support workers with one or more of the actions below! No matter which way you decide to help, SBWU intends for these actions to be friendly and fun, so bring your positive energy!

  1. Sign and share the No Contract, No Coffee pledge

Go to nocontractnocoffee.com and sign the pledge to not shop at Starbucks while the workers are on strike. Then share the pledge with your friends and coworkers!

  1. Support striking workers on the picket line

The workers at 122 E Clark went on strike December 11th at 7am. They picketed Monday-Friday from 7am-3pm. LVDSA members and other community members have joined them on the line most of those days.

The workers ended their strike after December 23rd and plan to return to work after Christmas. They are proud to have caused their store to close down the lobby to foot traffic, and close down the entire shop around noon each day! Thank you to everyone who joined them in support. We will provide updates if additional strikes are called.

  1. Join a Stop Buying Starbucks action

As requested by SBWU, help the union turn up the pressure on Starbucks by passing out leaflets (color version here) outside of non-unionized stores. Use this script to ask customers to not buy Starbucks until the strike ends. You can also give non-union baristas information about SBWU. Check out the Guidelines for Leafleting section of this guide for more information. LVDSA will be hosting leafleting every weekend until the strike ends! Sign up for upcoming leafleting events here. We’ll update the signup form as new events are scheduled.

  1. Support a strike kitchen

Sustaining a strike can be physically and financially taxing for the workers, so LVDSA will be coordinating occasional meal service for them. Fill out our interest form if you would like to help with the strike kitchen.

  1. Donate directly to the striking workers

SBWU workers on strike get financial support from their union, but it doesn't always cover their cost of living. Help them sustain their strike by donating to their fund: https://gofund.me/8f32748ef

  1. Get your union involved in the fight

While SBWU has reached out to international unions and the AFL-CIO, we know that actually mobilizing these institutions can be difficult. The DSA National Labor Commission has drafted a template resolution that union members can pass in their locals and labor councils to build support for this campaign within the labor movement.

If you’re a DSA member and you get your union to pass a resolution, submit it here to get connected with the DSA Solidarity Captain Network and help with future labor actions.

  1. Set up coffee stations in your workplace

If your coworkers frequent a nearby Starbucks store, bring a coffee maker, creamers, and sweeteners to work for people to use until the strike ends. Leave a note or leaflets (color version here) about the strike and encourage coworkers to sign the No Contract, No Coffee pledge.

Guidelines for Joining a Picket Line

  1. Workers take the lead. Introduce yourself to workers when you arrive. Let them know if you are an LVDSA member. Ask how you can help and make sure you understand their demands enough that you could repeat them if asked. Do not take on more risk than you are comfortable with, and never more risk than the workers take on.
  2. Bring signs, snacks, and water. Make signs that reinforce the demands of the workers. Picketing is physical labor, so be prepared with healthy snacks and water (especially to share with others!).
  3. Be media smart. If members of the press ask you to give a statement, you can speak from your own perspective as a member of the community and working class. Repeat the workers’ demands and why it’s important to you that they win them. You can say that you learned about the event through your local DSA chapter, but LVDSA members should otherwise not speak on behalf of the chapter unless authorized by the Steering Committee.
  4. Take pictures and video. Photos and video of the action helps the cause! Share the workers’ demands and a link to the No Contract, No Coffee pledge. Be sure to have permission from everyone in the photo/video before posting. See more social media & comms tips here.
  1. Instagram: @vegasdsa @demsocialists @sbworkersunited @dsa_labor
  2. BlueSky: @demsocialists.bsky.social @dsa-labor.bsky.social
  3. X: @demsocialists @SBWorkersUnited
  1. Remember your rights for protesting.
  1. Workers have the right to picket on their employer’s property. You can join them with their permission, however the business can ask non-workers to leave the property. If this happens, remember that you have the legal right to move your protesting to public sidewalks around the business.
  2. Blocking sidewalks or streets, or using amplified sound (speakers or megaphones), may require a permit.
  3. You cannot physically prevent someone from entering or leaving the business. Doing so could put the striking workers’ legal rights at risk.
  4. While protesting is a protected right, violence or destruction of property is not. Do not take on more risk than you are comfortable with, and never more risk than the workers take on.
  1. Be a working-class organizer. We are trying to build a mass movement of the working class. When speaking to customers or others who may be impacted by the picket line, work to persuade them to be on the side of the workers. Avoid aggressive confrontations that are counterproductive to building a united working class.

Guidelines for Leafleting

Additional Resources

News: