For many customers, Red Cup Day marks the beginning of the holiday season – a time of excitement, tradition, celebration and a reminder to begin their holiday shopping. But for Starbucks workers, it also marks one of the most exhausting and demanding days of the year.
Behind every peppermint mocha and festive latte are the baristas and shift supervisors who make it all happen – often borrowing shifts, juggling unpredictable schedules and working through long lines and longer hours.
This Red Cup Day, we’re reminding everyone that the holiday rush comes at a cost —and that the workers behind the counter deserve better. Across Ontario, Starbucks baristas are standing together to demand fair wages, consistent scheduling, safe workplaces and respect on the job.
From Waterloo and Kitchener to Ajax and Toronto, workers are organizing with the United Steelworkers union (USW) through the Baristas of Steel campaign – building a movement grounded in solidarity and collective strength. In the past year, baristas have not only unionized new stores but also secured their first contracts, resulting in improvements in wages, benefits and working conditions.
“On Red Cup Day, Starbucks celebrates traditions – but it’s also a reminder of the labour that makes it possible,” said Kevon Stewart, USW District 6 Director. “Baristas across Ontario and Atlantic Canada are organizing, speaking out and winning real improvements in their workplaces. This movement is about more than coffee – it’s about the power of workers to create lasting change.”
“Starbucks workers know what it means to borrow shifts and stretch themselves thin just to get by,” said Anita Bryan, USW District 6 Co-ordinator. “Through organizing and collective bargaining, they’re building real stability and fairness within their workplaces. Each new contract is an example that when workers stand together, they win – and we’re keeping that momentum going.”
Today marks Red Cup Day, and excitement continues to brew across Ontario and Canada. Let’s remember the workers behind every cup – and stand with them in their fight for fairness and respect.
Learn more and get involved at imaginebetter.work/starbucks and usw.ca/baristas-of-steel.
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