Striking Starbucks Baristas Have One Request For Customers — 'It Is Worth The Wait'

Unionized Starbucks workers have been on strike since November 2025, affecting stores in 100 cities. Members of Starbucks Workers United, which was formed five years ago, are seeking their first union contract, which they hope will end unfair labor practices at Starbucks locations. According to the 12,000-strong band of  baristas, supporting them is simple: They are asking customers to delete the Starbucks rewards and delivery app from their phones as part of a larger call to avoid spending money at the coffee chain.

According to The Guardian, the "Delete the App" campaign was announced on a solidarity call. Christi Gomoljak, a Barista at the Disney Starbucks in Anaheim, California, said during the call that Starbucks lovers should stay off the app until baristas working for the company get a fair contract, adding, "Trust me, coffee with a union contract tastes so much better, and it is worth the wait." At present, union members are striking on a rotational basis due to concerns about the financial burden of a larger strike on low-income Starbucks employees. But enthusiasm for the action hasn't slowed down, with 16 more stores voting to unionize since the beginning of the strike. 

Members are calling for the public to delete the app because they believe a new rewards program, which will be rolled out in March, is intended to win back U.S. customers Starbucks has lost in recent years due to strikes, boycotts, and inflation. Last year, a huge amount of the company's revenue came through the existing loyalty program, and the revamped program and app aim to build on that. Deleting it could hit the company where it most hurts. 

Despite Starbucks' apparent worry about losing customers, profit numbers on Macrotrends confirm that the coffee-behemoth has only had six quarters without growth in the last decade (four of those in 2020), and has made a profit every quarter. But according to Starbucks' own numbers, U.S. profits stagnated or shrank for over a year until Q4 2025, and then grew again In the first quarter of 2026. This came after Starbucks announced the closure of well over 100 North American stores as part of restructuring, cut some permanent menu items, and launched the "Back to Starbucks" plan, which pushed customization and a focus on seasonal drinks like the new Filipino-Inspired Macchiato flavor. The improved app and loyalty program will build on this, offering its 35.5 million users perks like free modifications and early access to new drinks. 

But it's also likely to make life more difficult for employees. Starbucks baristas already report understaffing, scheduling that unfairly and sometimes illegally caps hours below the minimum for healthcare, and corporate policies that make their jobs harder. Many of these policies were part of the "Back to Starbucks" campaign. Some, like refusing bathroom access and water to anyone but paying customers, are hostile and tough to implement. Others, like stricter dress codes and offering ceramic mugs, are designed to make stores more welcoming, but create more work for staff, slowing service.

Liz Shuler, president of the the US's largest federation of unions, was quoted in The Guardian, saying, "This fight is about something way bigger than just coffee. It's about whether we as working people get to live with dignity in this world that we make possible." But if that isn't enough to inspire you, deleting the Starbucks app might also help avoid a future 15-minute wait for your frappuccino.