On Friday, March 7, Starbucks workers in Chile began a historic strike of over 1,200 workers from 170 locations across the country — representing about 60 percent of the total Starbucks locations in Chile. The workers are demanding higher pay, better working conditions, and affirmative hiring policies for trans workers.

The strike began after a final bargaining session on Thursday between Starbucks, the Labor Directorate (a government agency responsible for overseeing and enforcing labor laws in Chile), and the union — in which no agreement was reached. This session followed the company’s refusal to address workers’ demands and accept the union’s latest counterproposal.

Workers have received international solidarity from Starbucks Workers United in the United States and workers in Brazil: “We are experiencing the same struggles in different parts of the world.”

The union has called for solidarity from the entire community: “Our fight is not just for ourselves; it’s for all the young people and women who are the ones most affected by these precarious jobs. We want to tell all fast food companies that they cannot trample on us, that we have rights.”

On March 8, International Women’s Day (IWD) and the second day of the strike, workers invited protestors attending the IWD march just a few blocks down the road to join their picket line. The union also organized a contingent to attend the march and invited the community to march alongside them. In statements on social media, Starbucks workers have emphasized the connection between this day and their struggle.

As a Starbucks Workers United worker who reported from the picket line said, “Women’s rights are workers rights, too.”

“One Hour Of Work Is Worth Less Than A Cup Of Coffee”

Higher pay is among the baristas’ primary demands. While workers can barely make ends meet, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol commutes to the office on a private jet.

In his first four months as CEO, Niccol made nearly $100 million. That’s over $800 thousand a day. 

“We are fighting for better working conditions. Our main demand is a salary increase, as our hourly wage is only 2,800 pesos. The cheapest Starbucks coffee costs more than that,” said Romanett Belmar, a union leader, regarding the demands in the negotiations. To put this into perspective, the cheapest espresso at the store costs 3,200 pesos and 3,700 pesos at the airport ($3.41 and $3.94 in U.S. dollars, respectively). On average, a barista earns 380,000 pesos per month — about $400 U.S. dollars.

“One hour of work is worth less than a cup of coffee,” she said.

Underemployment is another major issue for the workers, who say they “work to remain poor” since the company does not offer full-time positions. Their weekly shifts are limited to 30 hours or less. “In other words, to earn a minimum wage, we have to work in more than one place,” said Antonio Páez, union president and member of Partido de Trabajadores Revolucionarios, Left Voice’s sister group in Chile. 

Before the strike was officially launched, Páez also said, “For the first time in the 15 years of our union, we are achieving a real collective bargaining process. The possibility of us going on strike today poses an objective risk to the company,” adding that “it ultimately raises the question of who actually generates Starbucks’ profits — is it the expensive coffee business, or is it the workers?”

Among the workers’ demands are a minimum salary of 650,000 pesos for a 30-hour workweek, bonuses for working in high-traffic stores or handling recycling, a minimum of three percent of jobs allocated for trans workers, as well as transportation and meal allowances, among other demands.

Trans Rights Are Workers Rights 

The fight for trans rights as part of the Sindicato Starbucks contract struggle is not a footnote, nor an accident; it reflects years of organizing a union culture based on workers democracy, assemblies, and fighting for the rights of the oppressed.

The union, which makes all its decisions in democratic assemblies, has organized a Women’s and Nonbinary Commission. This commission puts forward struggles against oppression in the workplace, and brings these issues to the wider assembly. Rather than tackling LGBTQ+ issues from a perspective of “rainbow capitalism,” they fight to improve people’s working conditions and daily lives. For example, workers have independently and democratically developed a protocol to confront sexism, sexual harassment, and abuse in the workplace. This commission is open not only to unionized locations, but to all Starbucks workers who want to join it.

Starbucks workers internationally have been at the forefront of the labor movement fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. In 2023, Starbucks workers at over 150 stores across the United States went on strike against the company’s anti-queer policy change during Pride Month. They have organized a disability inclusion subcommittee. They have fought for trans protections in their contracts and proudly state that trans rights are labor rights.

The struggles of Starbucks workers are indicative of a labor movement that is increasingly aware of the importance of fighting for the rights of the oppressed — and has the potential to be so much stronger if we take up these fights together.

We are now in the midst of escalating attacks on trans youth and adults in the United States (not to mention immigrants, pro-Palestine activists, and others) with the rise of the global Far Right. As diversity, equity, and inclusion comes under fire, corporations are dropping their previous rhetorical support for such initiatives, with rainbow capitalism apparently fading before our very eyes.

Now more than ever, the broader labor movement needs to follow the baristas’ lead in fighting for the rights of the oppressed with working class methods.

Sindicato Starbucks de Chile: The First Starbucks Union in Latin America

The workers’ current strike in Chile is set in the context of years of organizing and fierce struggle against the company. The Starbucks Union in Chile, founded in 2009, emerged as a response to exploitative conditions in the fast-food industry. In a country that was brutalized by U.S. imperialism through a CIA-backed coup and used as a “laboratory of neoliberalism,” multinational corporations like Starbucks and McDonald’s have been able to impose low wages and unstable working conditions.

Despite aggressive opposition from the company, the union became the first national Starbucks union in Latin America, representing workers across the country. Facing aggressive tactics like firings and intimidation, the union has fought back and won victories such as reinstating Páez as union president after he was fired.

Chilean workers and youth have also been at the center of historic processes of class struggle — from the 2011 student movement to the 2019 uprising. Workers in the Starbucks union have played a role in these movements, from attending demonstrations to helping other fast-food workers unionize. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the union advocated against government policies that allowed companies to suspend contracts, offering direct support to its members. This period led to a tripling of membership and solidified its role in organizing fast-food workers.

Starbucks workers in Chile have also traveled to the United States — from attending Labor Notes in 2022 to participating in the SEIU conference in 2024 — to share their experiences with other Starbucks workers and build solidarity internationally. Starbucks workers are showing the broader labor movement how uniting across borders and against oppression strengthens the entire working class. 

Their struggle is our struggle. We, too, have the power to organize, stand together, and fight for the world we deserve. Solidarity with Starbucks workers in Chile!