Starbucks workers in the United States are planning to go on strike at hundreds of stores because they are unhappy with how the company treats its employees. The strike is being organized by a group called Starbucks Workers United and will happen on one of the busiest days of the year for the coffee chain. The union and Starbucks have been arguing about things like how much workers get paid and their schedules. About 200 stores are expected to be affected by the strike on November 16th.
This is the second time that workers have gone on strike during Starbucks’ annual ‘Red Cup’ day, when the company gives out cups with holiday designs. Some stores will only be closed for a few hours, while others might be closed for the whole day. The union wants to get people’s attention and make Starbucks agree to fair contracts for its unionized stores. Workers are also upset because there aren’t enough staff on busy days.
One of the leaders of the union, a barista named Michelle Eisen, thinks that this year’s strike will have a bigger impact than before because more customers and community activists are expected to join in. She says that Starbucks has a good reputation and if it doesn’t listen to the workers’ concerns, it could have bad consequences for the company.
Starbucks, which has about 10,000 stores in the US, says that it doesn’t think the strike will cause big problems. The company says that it has spent a lot of money on paying workers more, giving them better training, and getting new equipment. Starbucks also blames the union for taking a long time to negotiate and says that it has successfully negotiated with some stores in Canada.
Since 2021, workers at around 350 Starbucks stores in the US have voted to join the union. Starbucks has strongly opposed the union and has done things like firing workers and closing stores to try to stop it. Judges who deal with labor laws have said that Starbucks has broken the rules many times. But Starbucks says that it didn’t do anything wrong and usually fights against these decisions.
The Starbucks union campaign has gotten a lot of attention and has inspired workers at other companies to organize and ask for better working conditions. Even though other unions have been successful in getting higher wages, Michelle Eisen knows that it’s still hard to fight for workers’ rights at Starbucks.
Original news source: Starbucks faces walkout at hundreds of US stores (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Students pair up and one takes on the role of a Starbucks workers’ union representative while the other becomes a news reporter. The reporter interviews the union representative about the reasons for the strike, the demands being made, and the expected outcomes. After 5 minutes, students swap roles.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article (e.g., “The strike is justified,” “Starbucks treats its employees fairly,” etc.). Students move around the room and poll their classmates on their opinions. They should use phrases like “Do you agree that…” or “What’s your opinion on…?” to elicit responses. Afterward, discuss the class’s overall viewpoints.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key terms from the article on slips of paper (e.g., strike, union, negotiate, barista). Students take turns drawing the terms on the board without using words or gestures while their team guesses. Set a time limit for each term to keep the game moving quickly.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. One group lists the pros of the Starbucks strike, while the other lists the cons. Then, each group presents their arguments to the class. This activity helps students practice expressing opinions and using persuasive language.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask students to predict the outcomes of the Starbucks strike based on information from the article. They can make predictions about the immediate aftermath of the strike, as well as long-term effects on the company and its employees. Have them share their predictions with a partner and provide reasons for their viewpoints.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What are the Starbucks workers in the United States planning to do because they are unhappy?
2. Who is organizing the strike and when is it scheduled to occur?
3. What are some of the issues that the union and Starbucks have been arguing about?
4. How many stores are expected to be affected by the strike on November 16th?
5. Why is the union striking on the annual ‘Red Cup’ day, and what do they hope to achieve?
6. What does Michelle Eisen believe will make this year’s strike more impactful than previous ones?
7. How has Starbucks responded to the planned strike and the union’s complaints?
8. What has been the response of Starbucks to the unionization efforts, and what have labor law judges said about the company’s actions?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
(1)______ workers in the United States are planning to go on strike at hundreds of stores because they are unhappy with how the company treats its employees. The strike is being organized by a group called Starbucks (2)______ United and will happen on one of the busiest days of the year for the coffee chain. The (3)______ and Starbucks have been arguing about things like how much workers get paid and their schedules. About 200 stores are (4)______ to be affected by the strike on November 16th.
This is the second time that workers have gone on strike during Starbucks’ annual ‘Red Cup’ day, when the (5)______ gives out cups with holiday designs. Some stores will only be closed for a few hours, while others might be closed for the whole day. The union wants to get people’s (6)______ and make Starbucks agree to fair contracts for its unionized stores. Workers are also (7)______ because there aren’t enough staff on busy days.
One of the leaders of the union, a barista named Michelle Eisen, thinks that this year’s strike will have a bigger (8)______ than before because more customers and community activists are expected to join in. She says that Starbucks has a good reputation and if it doesn’t listen to the workers’ concerns, it could have bad consequences for the company.
Starbucks, which has about 10,000 stores in the US, says that it doesn’t (9)______ the strike will cause big problems. The company says that it has spent a lot of money on paying workers more, (10)______ them better training, and getting new (11)______. Starbucks also (12)______ the union for taking a long time to negotiate and says that it has successfully negotiated with some stores in Canada.
Since 2021, workers at around 350 Starbucks stores in the US have voted to join the union. Starbucks has strongly opposed the union and has done things like firing workers and closing stores to try to stop it. Judges who deal with labor laws have said that Starbucks has broken the rules many times. But Starbucks says that it didn’t do anything wrong and usually fights against these decisions.
The Starbucks union (13)______ has gotten a lot of attention and has inspired workers at other companies to organize and ask for better (14)______ conditions. Even though other unions have been successful in getting (15)______ wages, Michelle Eisen knows that it’s still hard to fight for workers’ (16)______ at Starbucks.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is a strike and have you ever seen one happen in your town?
2. How would you feel if your favorite coffee shop was closed for a day because of a strike?
3. Do you think it’s important for workers to have a union? Why or why not?
4. Have you or someone you know ever been part of a union? What was that like?
5. What do you think about companies that don’t treat their employees well?
6. If you were a worker at Starbucks, would you join the strike? Why or why not?
7. How important do you think it is for workers to have fair schedules and good pay?
8. Do you believe that strikes are an effective way to make companies listen to workers? Why or why not?
9. What would you do if you were the boss of a big company like Starbucks and your employees wanted to strike?
10. Do you think customers should support workers when they go on strike? How can they show their support?
11. What do you think could happen to a company’s reputation if they are known for treating workers badly?
12. Have you ever supported a cause or participated in a protest? What was it about?
13. Why do you think some companies are against their workers forming unions?
14. What do you think about the idea of workers from different companies coming together to ask for better conditions?
15. Can you think of any other ways workers can fight for their rights besides going on strike?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. Starbucks
2. strike
3. employees
4. union
5. contracts
6. reputation
7. consequences
8. negotiate
Meanings:
(a) Agreements between workers and the company
(b) A popular coffee chain with many stores
(c) The results or effects of an action
(d) People who work for a company
(e) To discuss and come to an agreement
(f) When workers refuse to work as a protest
(g) How people think about a company
(h) An organization that helps workers fight for their rights
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Why are Starbucks workers planning to go on strike?
(a) They are unhappy with how the company treats its employees.
(b) They want a longer holiday break.
(c) They want free coffee for life.
(d) They want Starbucks to close all its stores.
2. When is the strike planned to take place?
(a) December 25th
(b) October 31st
(c) November 16th
(d) January 1st
3. How many stores are expected to be affected by the strike?
(a) About 500
(b) About 200
(c) About 1000
(d) About 10,000
4. What is the purpose of the strike?
(a) To protest against the holiday cup designs.
(b) To demand free coffee for all workers.
(c) To ask for longer breaks.
(d) To make Starbucks agree to fair contracts for its unionized stores.
5. Why are workers upset on busy days?
(a) There is too much coffee to make.
(b) They have to work overtime.
(c) The customers are rude.
(d) There aren’t enough staff.
6. Who is leading the union campaign at Starbucks?
(a) John Smith
(b) Michelle Eisen
(c) Emily Johnson
(d) David Brown
7. How many Starbucks stores are there in the US?
(a) About 10,000
(b) About 100
(c) About 1,000,000
(d) About 1,000
8. What has the Starbucks company done to oppose the union?
(a) Increased wages and benefits.
(b) Supported the union’s demands.
(c) Fired workers and closed stores.
(d) Ignored the union’s requests.
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. The strike is being organized by a group called Starbucks Workers Divided and will happen on one of the slowest days of the year for the coffee chain.
2. Starbucks workers in the United States are planning to go on strike because they are unhappy with how the company treats its employees.
3. The Starbucks union campaign has inspired workers at other companies to organize and ask for better working conditions.
4. The union wants to avoid getting people’s attention and make Starbucks agree to unfair contracts for its unionized stores.
5. The union and Starbucks have been compromising about things like how much workers get paid and their schedules.
6. This is the third time that workers have gone on strike during Starbucks’ annual ‘Red Cup’ day, when the company gives out cups with holiday designs.
7. Workers are upset because there aren’t enough staff on busy days.
8. About 200 stores are expected to be affected by the strike on November 16th.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. Why are Starbucks workers planning to strike at hundreds of stores in the United States?
2. What is the name of the group organizing the strike and what are they hoping to achieve?
3. On which day is the strike scheduled to take place, and why is this day significant for Starbucks?
4. What are some of the issues the Starbucks workers are protesting about?
5. How has Starbucks responded to the planned strike and the union’s actions?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What are the Starbucks workers in the United States planning to do because they are unhappy?
The Starbucks workers are planning to go on strike at hundreds of stores.
2. Who is organizing the strike and when is it scheduled to occur?
The strike is being organized by Starbucks Workers United and is scheduled for November 16th.
3. What are some of the issues that the union and Starbucks have been arguing about?
The union and Starbucks have been arguing about things like how much workers get paid and their schedules.
4. How many stores are expected to be affected by the strike on November 16th?
About 200 stores are expected to be affected by the strike.
5. Why is the union striking on the annual ‘Red Cup’ day, and what do they hope to achieve?
The union is striking on ‘Red Cup’ day, one of the busiest days for Starbucks, to get people’s attention and push Starbucks to agree to fair contracts for its unionized stores.
6. What does Michelle Eisen believe will make this year’s strike more impactful than previous ones?
Michelle Eisen believes that this year’s strike will be more impactful because more customers and community activists are expected to join in.
7. How has Starbucks responded to the planned strike and the union’s complaints?
Starbucks has said that it doesn’t think the strike will cause big problems and has highlighted its investments in higher pay, better training, and new equipment. The company also blames the union for slow negotiation progress.
8. What has been the response of Starbucks to the unionization efforts, and what have labor law judges said about the company’s actions?
Starbucks has strongly opposed the union by firing workers and closing stores. Labor law judges have said that Starbucks has broken the rules many times, but the company denies wrongdoing and often fights against these decisions.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) Starbucks
(2) Workers
(3) union
(4) expected
(5) company
(6) attention
(7) upset
(8) impact
(9) think
(10) giving
(11) equipment
(12) blames
(13) campaign
(14) working
(15) higher
(16) rights
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. Starbucks
Answer: (b) A popular coffee chain with many stores
2. strike
Answer: (f) When workers refuse to work as a protest
3. employees
Answer: (d) People who work for a company
4. union
Answer: (h) An organization that helps workers fight for their rights
5. contracts
Answer: (a) Agreements between workers and the company
6. reputation
Answer: (g) How people think about a company
7. consequences
Answer: (c) The results or effects of an action
8. negotiate
Answer: (e) To discuss and come to an agreement
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Why are Starbucks workers planning to go on strike?
Answer: (a) They are unhappy with how the company treats its employees.
2. When is the strike planned to take place?
Answer: (c) November 16th
3. How many stores are expected to be affected by the strike?
Answer: (b) About 200
4. What is the purpose of the strike?
Answer: (d) To make Starbucks agree to fair contracts for its unionized stores.
5. Why are workers upset on busy days?
Answer: (d) There aren’t enough staff.
6. Who is leading the union campaign at Starbucks?
Answer: (b) Michelle Eisen
7. How many Starbucks stores are there in the US?
Answer: (a) About 10,000
8. What has the Starbucks company done to oppose the union?
Answer: (c) Fired workers and closed stores.
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. The strike is being organized by a group called Starbucks Workers Divided and will happen on one of the slowest days of the year for the coffee chain. (Answer: False)
2. Starbucks workers in the United States are planning to go on strike because they are unhappy with how the company treats its employees. (Answer: True)
3. The Starbucks union campaign has inspired workers at other companies to organize and ask for better working conditions. (Answer: True)
4. The union wants to avoid getting people’s attention and make Starbucks agree to unfair contracts for its unionized stores. (Answer: False)
5. The union and Starbucks have been compromising about things like how much workers get paid and their schedules. (Answer: False)
6. This is the third time that workers have gone on strike during Starbucks’ annual ‘Red Cup’ day, when the company gives out cups with holiday designs. (Answer: False)
7. Workers are upset because there aren’t enough staff on busy days. (Answer: True)
8. About 200 stores are expected to be affected by the strike on November 16th. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧
