Starbucks Workers Fight Store Closings in Seattle

The union representing thousands of Starbucks workers is fighting against the company's plan to close five Seattle coffee shops in April. Four of the five stores have unionized workers. Starbucks Workers United filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board and wants to negotiate with the company. The stores being closed are in University District, First Hill, Seattle Center, downtown Seattle, and Seattle Children's hospital. Starbucks says they picked these stores because of poor sales and customer service, not because workers joined unions. This is part of a bigger pattern - last year Starbucks closed over 30 stores in Washington state and hundreds across the country. The company also moved jobs from Seattle to Nashville and laid off 1,100 corporate workers in 2025. Starbucks has been trying to improve sales through their 'Back to Starbucks' plan, which includes bringing back ceramic mugs, free refills, and making stores feel more welcoming. The union believes the company is targeting unionized stores unfairly and wants to bargain over these closures.

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