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)

– 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.

? 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 ? United and will happen on one of the busiest days of the year for the coffee chain. The ? and Starbucks have been arguing about things like how much workers get paid and their schedules. About 200 stores are ? 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 ? 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 ? and make Starbucks agree to fair contracts for its unionized stores. Workers are also ? 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 ? 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 ? the strike will cause big problems. The company says that it has spent a lot of money on paying workers more, ? them better training, and getting new ?. Starbucks also ? 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 ? has gotten a lot of attention and has inspired workers at other companies to organize and ask for better ? conditions. Even though other unions have been successful in getting ? wages, Michelle Eisen knows that it's still hard to fight for workers' ? at Starbucks.

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?

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