Thousands of Starbucks workers go on a one-day strike, one of busiest days of year for the chain

By DEE-ANN DURBIN
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Workers at more than 200 U.S. Starbucks stores walked off the job Thursday. Organizers say it’s the largest strike yet in the two-year-old effort to unionize the company’s stores. The Workers United union chose Starbucks’ annual Red Cup Day to stage the walkout since it’s usually one of the busiest days of the year. Starbucks expects to give away thousands of reusable cups Thursday to customers who order holiday drinks. The union says it’s expecting more than 5,000 workers to take part in its “Red Cup Rebellion.” Around 30 stores also staged walkouts on Wednesday.