Starbucks employees in more than 300 stores in the United States have started a strike. According to the workers' union, more than 5,000 workers will leave their jobs by the end of the last working day before Christmas.
Starbucks, which operates over 10,000 stores across the U.S., said 98% of them were open on Tuesday, but about 170 stores were closed. The union said more than 290 stores were closed, and more than 300 went on strike, covering 45 states.
The Christmas Eve strike is the largest in Starbucks Workers United's history. "These strikes are our first show of strength, and we're just getting started," the Oregon Baristas Union said in a statement.
The reasons for the strike are wages, staff shortages, and work schedules.
