Unionized workers at Starbucks have intensified their ongoing labour dispute by asking customers to remove the company’s mobile app from their devices in a show of support. The campaign comes as baristas nationwide continue striking for a first collective bargaining agreement, highlighting frustration over stalled contract talks and workplace conditions.
📉 Strike Enters Third Month with New Tactic
Baristas represented by Starbucks Workers United have been on strike for nearly three months, demanding a fair and enforceable union contract that addresses wages, scheduling and anti-union actions by the company. To broaden public support, workers are now calling on Starbucks customers to delete the brand’s mobile app as a symbolic gesture of solidarity.
Union organisers say that removing the app — used by millions to pre-order drinks and earn rewards — could increase pressure on corporate leadership to return to meaningful negotiations. Social media posts from worker groups and allied unions have amplified the “Delete the App” message, urging supporters to stop using Starbucks digital services until a deal is reached.
📊 Workers’ Demands Remain Central
Starbucks Workers United wants improvements including higher pay, reliable hours and protections against what they consider union-busting actions. While Starbucks has maintained that limited stores are affected and emphasised previous progress in talks, many union members say substantive agreement on key issues is yet to be reached.
Strikers point out that as of this year, hundreds of stores have successfully unionised, yet contract negotiations remain unresolved, leading baristas from multiple states to maintain coordinated strike efforts. The app removal plea is designed to highlight both worker grievances and the role customers can play in supporting labour rights at the coffee giant.
📈 Broader Impact and Public Support
Labour advocates and allied unions have backed the campaign, framing it as part of a larger movement for fair workplace standards and collective bargaining rights. Customers and supporters have shared messages of solidarity online, with some celebrating app deletion as a way to show personal commitment to workers’ goals.
For many customers who regularly use Starbucks’ digital services, the request to delete the app represents a new front in the strike — one that connects everyday consumer behaviour to broader labour struggles.
