Starbucks workers at an Ithaca, New York, store claim their location is being shut down in retaliation for their union activism.

The worker committee said it is filing an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that Starbucks is making a "clear attempt to scare workers across the country," a press release from the Starbucks Workers United said.

On Friday, Starbucks informed employees in its College Avenue location near Cornell University that the store will close in one week, according to the press release.

In April, all three Starbucks locations in Ithaca voted to unionize, making Ithaca the company's first fully unionized city within the United States, according to the union press release.

On April 16, workers at the College Avenue store went on strike, claiming "unsafe working conditions" due to a "waste emergency" caused by an overflowing grease trap, the union said.

Nadia Vitek, a barista at the soon-to-be-closed location, claimed the grease trap had been an ongoing problem creating an "awful" smell that even customers could notice. They said there was oil all over the shop's floor.

"Now they're closing the store and the only concrete reason that they're giving us is the grease trap," Vitek said. "And it feels blatant when you connect the dots."

On Friday, the store's district manager held a meeting with the staff on Microsoft Teams to announce the store closure, Vitek said.

"I was shaking as I was hearing them say the news," Vitek said. "They didn't even explain in the call that it was a permanent closure. I got that in an email from the anti-union lawyer that Starbucks has."

A company spokesperson said Starbucks opens and closes stores as part of its regular operations. They did not comment on specific reasons for the Ithaca closure or answer any questions beyond the statement.

"Our local, regional and national leaders have been working with humility, deep care and urgency to create the kind of store environment that partners and customers expect of Starbucks," the Starbucks spokesperson said. "Our goal is to ensure that every partner is supported in their individual situation and we have immediate opportunities available in the market."

But some Starbucks workers at the location are concerned about having enough hours, as the other stores in the area are already struggling, Vitek said.

"Starbucks is continuing a divide-and conquer-strategy. But, you know, even though we're grieving, we're all ready to fight," Vitek said.

Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union which is supporting the Starbucks employees, has also filed dozens of complaints against the coffee giant.

"It's a violation of federal labor law to close a store because workers exercised their legal rights," Ian Hayes, an attorney for Starbucks Workers United wrote in a statement to CNN Business. "We ... have no doubt the NLRB will prosecute the company for this illegal union busting, and justice will be done."

CNN —

As prices surge and the U.K. economy struggles more than most of its peers, Starbucks is reportedly looking for an exit.

Related video above: Starbucks To Close 16 Stores Over Safety Concerns

The company is engaged with advisers to determine whether it could — or should — sell its business in the United Kingdom, according to U.K. newspaper The Times.

Asked for comment, Starbucks shared with CNN Business an email it sent its U.K. staff over the weekend denying the company is engaged in a "formal sale process" and asserting its desire to remain in the region.

The report comes at a time that the U.K. economy is in tough shape, making it difficult for businesses to operate and for residents to make ends meet. U.K. inflation hit 9.1% in May — a 40-year high and the highest rate among the leading G7 economies. And there's no relief in sight: Inflation is forecast to climb above 11% later this year.

Food prices in particular have been soaring, creating a cost of living crisis for many in the U.K. Disposable incomes are on track for the second biggest fall since record keeping began in 1964, according to the Bank of England.

Prospects are bleak for the entire U.K. economy, according to a report on financial stability published earlier this month from the Bank of England, which said the outlook for the country's economy had "deteriorated materially." The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development forecast in June that the U.K. economy was heading to stagnation, with zero GDP growth forecast for 2023.

That's a downbeat environment for businesses, especially those still recovering from the difficult pandemic years.

For Starbucks, coffee sales were hit when customers began working from home. As employees start making their way back to offices, the trend has turned around. Starbucks' U.K. sales improved significantly in the quarter ended April 3, Michael Conway, group president of international and channel development, said during a May analyst call.

"Traffic continues to come into Central London metro areas, and we are increasing drive-throughs in that market at a significant rate," he said.

Starbucks had about 300 company-operated stores and roughly another 800 licensed locations in the United Kingdom as of October 2021. The coffee chain launched operations in the U.K. in 1998.

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Starbucks customers can now earn more than just "stars" for their purchases.

Effective Wednesday, the coffee chain is partnering with Delta Air Lines and awarding 1 mile for every $1 spent at Starbucks in an alliance between "two of America's most highly regarded loyalty programs," the companies said in a press release.

Customers must first link their Starbucks Rewards and Delta SkyMiles accounts on a special website in order to start receiving miles on purchases made at U.S. Starbucks locations. As another perk, on days that members are scheduled to fly Delta, they will earn double stars, or rewards points, on their Starbucks orders.

To entice customers to join the partnership, members who link their accounts between now and Dec. 31 will earn an additional 500 SkyMiles and, after joining and making one Starbucks purchase, they will accrue 150 stars, enough for a free coffee.

The brands have two of the country's most popular loyalty programs. Starbucks has more than 27 million U.S. members and Delta has around 100 million global members (the airline doesn't break out numbers for the U.S.).

Expanding Starbucks Rewards is a goal for the company because it gives the chain access to customers' data and ordering habits, which in turn helps the company target members with deals. Plus, members typically spend more money on each purchase compared to non-members. Partnerships like these help Starbucks "increase awareness and drive growth," as well as attract new members, the chain said in the release.

The coffee giant is also taking a page from Delta's playbook, as the airline already has a number of partnerships allowing members to accrue SkyMiles without flying, including for Lyft rides, Instacart purchases and Airbnb stays. The carrier said in the release that this new partnership helps the company "deliver more moments and interactions that matter, both in the air and on the ground."

Starbucks' newest perk to its loyalty program comes as rival Dunkin' recently made changes to parts of its own program, which has sparked some outrage among members.

Starbucks is once again saying "thank you" to veterans, military service members and military spouses this Veterans Day with free coffee. On Veterans Day, on Nov. 11, Starbucks will offer a free tall hot-brewed coffee or iced coffee to those groups of people.Related video above: Just How Annoying Are You at Starbucks? Rude Habits You Should Break NowTo help support the veteran community, the coffee chain will also donate $200,000, split evenly between Team Red, White & Blue and Team Rubicon, two organizations that support veterans. Starbucks was previously applauded for its work with Team Red, White & Blue by the organization's Director of Marketing and Communications, Bana Miller."We are honored to partner with Starbucks to support more veterans on their mental health journeys by offering activities, challenges, and events to challenge mental health stigma while keeping them moving," said Miller in November 2020. Outside of Veterans Day, Starbucks is committed to supporting veterans, military service members, and military spouses throughout the year through various goals and initiatives. Among its goals is to hire 5,000 veterans and military spouses each year and open 132 military stores, Starbucks locations near military bases primarily staffed by veterans and military spouses, by 2022."Military stores also serve as a foundation and model of engagement for hundreds of stores in military communities to advance veteran causes, accelerate the hiring of veteran and military spouses and bridge the civilian-military divide," read a 2019 release from Starbucks.

Jurors in federal court have awarded $25.6 million to a former Starbucks regional manager who alleged that she and other white employees were unfairly punished after the high-profile arrests of two Black men at a Philadelphia location in 2018.

Shannon Phillips won $600,000 in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages on Monday after a jury in New Jersey found that race was a determinative factor in Phillips' firing, in violation of federal and state anti-discrimination.

In April 2018, a Philadelphia store manager called police on two Black men who were sitting in the coffee shop without ordering anything. Phillips, then regional manager of operations in Philadelphia, southern New Jersey, and elsewhere, was not involved with arrests. However, she said she was ordered to put a white manager who also wasn't involved on administrative leave for reasons she knew were false, according to her lawsuit.

Phillips said she was fired less than a month later after objecting to the manager being placed on leave amid the uproar, according to her lawsuit.

The company's rationale for suspending the district manager, who was not responsible for the store where the arrests took place, was an allegation that Black store managers were being paid less than white managers, according to the lawsuit. Phillips said that argument made no sense since district managers had no input on employee salaries.

The lawsuit alleged Starbucks was instead taking steps to "punish white employees" who worked in the area "in an effort to convince the community that it had properly responded to the incident."

During closing arguments on Friday, Phillips' lawyer Laura Mattiacci told jurors that the company was looking for a "sacrificial lamb" to calm the outrage and show that it was taking action, Law360 reported. Picking a Black employee for such a purpose "would have blown up in their faces," she said.

Starbucks denied Phillips' allegations, saying the company needed someone with a track record of "strength and resolution" during a crisis and replaced her with a regional manager who had such experience, including navigating the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, Law360 reported.

Phillips' attorney, however, cited earlier testimony from a Black district manager, who was responsible for the store where the arrests took place, who described Phillips as someone beloved by her peers and worked around the clock after the arrests.

In an email to The Associated Press, Mattiacci confirmed the award amount and said the judge will consider awarding back pay and future pay, as well as attorney's fees. Mattiacci told the New Jersey Law Journal that she will seek about $3 million for lost pay, and roughly $1 million on her fee application. Starbucks declined comment Tuesday.

In the April 2018 incident, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson were arrested in a Starbucks coffee shop near Tony Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia shortly after the manager called police to report that two men were refusing to either make a purchase or leave the premises. They were later released without charges.

Video of the arrest prompted national outcry and led the current CEO of Starbucks to personally apologize to the men. The company later reached a settlement with both men for an undisclosed sum and an offer of free college education. The company also changed store policies and closed locations across the country for an afternoon for racial-bias training.

The two men also reached a deal with the city of Philadelphia for a symbolic $1 each and a promise from officials to set up a $200,000 program for young entrepreneurs. The Philadelphia Police Department adopted a new policy on how to deal with people accused of trespassing on private property — warning businesses against misusing the authority of police officers.

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Starbucks wants you to give olive oil coffee a shot. Really.

The coffee chain is rolling out a new line of beverages made with extra virgin olive oil. To be clear, the drinks are not simply flavored with olive oil, nor do they have just a hint of it. Each one is truly made with a spoonful of oil, adding 120 calories to the total. With some drinks, you can see a slippery sheen of oil in the cup, and you don't even have to squint.

Three olive oil beverages are available for sale at Starbucks cafes in Italy starting this week. Each includes Oleato, Starbucks' word for the new line, in its name.

There's an Oleato latte with oat milk and olive oil, an Oleato ice shaken espresso with oat milk, hazelnut flavor and olive oil, and the Oleato golden foam cold brew, made with a version of Starbucks' sweet milk foam infused with two olive oil servings. Versions of those drinks will arrive in Southern California this spring, with more details about the U.S. launch to come. They'll roll out in other markets in the UK, Middle East and Japan this year.

Like other major chains, Starbucks often tweaks its menu, rolling out limited-edition items seasonally or introducing new ingredients like oat milk. But this launch is much bigger, Brady Brewer, Starbucks' chief marketing officer, told CNN.

"It is one of the biggest launches we've had in decades," he noted. "Rather than a flavor or a product, it's really a platform," he said, meaning that customers will be able to use olive oil to customize some drinks.

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The company is betting that people will hear about the concoction and try it because they want to know what it tastes like. And, perhaps, because they've heard that there are health benefits to extra virgin olive oil.

With Oleato, Starbucks is going out on a limb. Adding fat to coffee is not new. You can do it the old-fashioned way, with cream or milk, or even butter. Recipes for olive oil coffee exist online.

But consumers are certainly not clamoring for olive oil coffee. And Starbucks is launching the line at a time when supply chains are fragile, consumers are watching their budgets and baristas, some of whom are so frustrated with the company they're joining a union, are already contending with complicated drink orders.

So why is Starbucks launching this major new line? Two words: Howard Schultz.

Coming full circle

Last year Schultz met olive oil producer Tommaso Asaro, who introduced him to the practice of consuming a tablespoon of olive oil each day. Schultz learned more about the practice this summer while visiting Sicily, and then picked the habit up himself. He wondered if he could combine it with his daily coffee routine.

"When we got together and started doing this ritual I said to [Asaro], I know you think I'm going to be crazy, but have you ever thought of infusing a tablespoon of olive oil with Starbucks coffee?" Schultz, currently Starbucks' interim CEO, told CNN's Poppy Harlow. "He thought it was a little strange." Asaro is the chairman of United Olive Oil, through which Starbucks is sourcing its olive oil.

For Schultz, making business decisions based on visits to Italy is not new.

Schultz joined Starbucks in 1982, 11 years after the first Starbucks location opened its doors (the original Starbucks sold whole coffee beans). Back in 1982, Starbucks was still just a tiny operation, with four stores altogether. Schultz, who had come on board as director of operations and marketing, visited Milan in 1983 and became enamored of the city's cafe culture. The rest, he says, is history.

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"My Starbucks journey will come full circle when I return to Milan later this month to introduce something much bigger than any new promotion or beverage," Schultz said during a February analyst call, teasing the new line.

Speaking with CNN's Harlow, he predicted that the new platform will "transform the coffee industry," and be "a very profitable new addition to the company."

It's one thing to toy with the idea of adding olive oil to coffee on a whim, and another to come up with a suite of beverages that can attract customers the world over.

For that, Schultz turned to his Starbucks team back in Seattle, where the coffee chain has its headquarters. There, they had to figure out how to make olive oil coffee taste good.

A unique case

Typically, Starbucks doesn't come up with new beverages based on ideas from the CEO.

"This is a pretty unique case," Brewer told CNN. But, he noted, "we have ideas that come from everywhere."

Starbucks' beverage team came up with about 12 options, which were whittled down to the three that are now available in Starbucks' Italian cafes. (The Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan will serve five Oleato drinks, including a deconstructed espresso drink, an iced cortado and an espresso martini, all of which include olive oil).

Starbucks opened its first Italian location, the roastery, in 2018, a decision that was met with raised eyebrows from locals. But five years later, it's managed to expand within the country. for the launch of Oleato, Schultz is once again in Italy to see how Italians react. "What if they don't like it?" Harlow asked. In that case "I won't be coming back to Seattle," Schultz quipped.

In recent years, beverage companies have incorporated into their recipes ingredients like turmeric or CBD, which customers see as healthy or offering certain benefits, like aiding sleep. Starbucks isn't making any health claims with Oleato, but it's hoping that people, through their own research, will come to see it as a healthy choice.

And those extra 120 calories? "We haven't seen that as a barrier," Brewer said. "We're not too concerned about that."

Brewer and Schultz dismissed some of the other challenges, as well.

And as to the likelihood of people shelling out extra cash for the oil, Brewer said that customers see Starbucks as an "affordable luxury." In the last three months of 2022, sales at Starbucks stores open at least 13 months jumped 5% globally, despite higher prices.

The way Brewer and Schultz see it, the only risk is if the beverages don't deliver on taste.

The proof, they say, is in the cup.

Video below: Starbucks has ‘pricing power’ as consumers spend big

The taste test

In New York, this reporter got to taste four Oleato drinks: The hot oat milk latte, golden foam cold brew, ice shaken espresso with oat milk and hazelnut, and an iced cortado like the one being served at the roastery in Milan.

I could see the oil in the cold drinks — it gave the cold foam a pale green tinge and appeared as a thin, bubbly layer on the shaken espresso and cortado.

On the first sip, I liked all of them. To me, the golden foam on the cold brew had the strongest olive oil taste — nutty and sweet and surprising, as promised. I could detect it in the cortado and the espresso in a more subtle way. In the hot latte, I couldn't really taste it at all.

But after a few sips of each, it felt like too much.

I usually drink regular coffee with a plant-based milk, preferably unsweetened. So the sweet cold drinks — the shaken espresso and cortado, especially — felt like a delightful indulgence. They would have been great without the olive oil, which seemed like an unnecessary flourish.

Starbucks describes the drinks as lush and velvety, thanks to the oil. But to me they just started to feel weighed down. And for a while after I tried the beverages, I could feel the oil on my lips.

As it turns out, I prefer my olive oil with food. Starbucks will have to wait to see if most people disagree.

Starbucks has displayed “egregious and widespread misconduct” in its dealings with employees involved in efforts to unionize Buffalo, New York, stores, a National Labor Relations Board judge said in an order Wednesday.As a result, the company must reinstate and make whole a number of workers who were let go from locations in or around Buffalo, among other remedies, NLRB administrative law judge Michael Rosas said.The case includes 32 unfair labor charges made by Workers United against the company for its actions between August 2021 and July 2022 at 21 stores in the Buffalo area, including the first Starbucks location to unionize.The company, which has been facing a wave of unionization across the country since December 2021, must also post a notice in its stores nationally, the judge ruled. That notice informs workers that they have the right to join a union, and lays out a lengthy list of what the company will refrain from doing, like surveilling workers or making other efforts to dissuade union activity.Rosas also said that interim CEO Howard Schultz and another company leader must read the notice to employees, or be present at a meeting where the rights are read.Schultz, who will soon hand over the reins to incoming CEO Laxman Narasimhan, has been a vocal opponent of the union since he rejoined the company as interim CEO last year.“I don’t think a union has a place in Starbucks,” Schultz recently told CNN’s Poppy Harlow. If workers “file for a petition to be unionized, they have a right to do so. But we as a company have a right also to say, we have a different vision that is better,” he said.Schultz recently declined a request from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the rest of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to testify in an upcoming hearing on Starbucks’ compliance with labor laws. Starbucks said its chief public affairs officer AJ Jones II will attend instead.For union leaders, Wednesday’s order was a win.“This is truly a historic ruling,” Gary Bonadonna Jr., manager of the Rochester Regional Joint Board of Workers United, SEIU, said in a statement issued by Starbucks Workers United. “We will not rest until every Starbucks worker wins the right to organize.”Michelle Eisen, a worker who was among those that Starbucks must make whole according to Wednesday’s order, said “this decision results from months of tireless organizing by workers in cafes across the country demanding better working conditions in the face of historical, monumental, and now deemed illegal union-busting.”Both parties have until March 28 to appeal the decision, according to the NLRB.Starbucks said in a statement that it is “considering all options to obtain further legal review,” adding that “we believe the decision and the remedies ordered are inappropriate given the record in this matter.”

The quick actions of Starbucks baristas in Texas are attracting national attention.

One Corpus Christi mother has taken to social media to express her gratitude.

It was a late Saturday night when Brandy Roberson's daughter －who is in high school－ was approached by a man as she was studying.

"I guess he was very loud and animated, you know, she wasn't intimidated by it. However, all of a sudden this Starbucks employee came up to her and handed her this cup," Brandy Roberson said.

On the cup, it said: "Are you okay? Do you want us to intervene? If you do, take the lid off the cup."

"She said she was like 'gasp'. She looked up and all of the employees were all just staring at her, just ready to help, and she was so touched by that," Brandy Roberson said.

Brandy said the man went back to sit with his friends when he noticed that her daughter and the staff were communicating with each other.

She said she hopes more businesses train their employees to notice when customers may be in danger and what they can do to help.

Watch the video above for the full story.

HOPEWELL, Va. — A group of Starbucks baristas in Hopewell, Virginia served a hot cup of compassion to a grieving daughter.

Jackie Dean's mother died in January. In the days and weeks since her mother's death, Jackie and her sisters have attempted to plan a memorial for their mom.

“So it’s just been hard," Dean said.

"We've had to move her services three times due to COVID.”

Mildred Burnham loved Starbucks.

She particularly enjoyed sipping a caramel macchiato.

WTVR

While planning her mom's rescheduled service over the weekend, Jackie needed a coffee break. So she drove to her neighborhood Starbucks and placed her familiar order.

"I was going to order what I always order and I inadvertently ordered two," she said. "I was so used to getting one for mom.”

Realizing her mistake, Jackie became overcome with grief.

"I started crying and I tried to get my words," she said.

What happened next brought Jackie some joy during an otherwise difficult day.

“They came up to the window and said, 'ma'am, there’s not going to be any charge for your coffee today," she said.“[The barista said] 'I noticed you were upset and when you said you ordered two and then one, I said I knew something was going on.'”

In addition to the free coffee, the barista drew a small heart on Jackie's cup.

WTVR

“It just made such an impact, it made my day, my day had been terrible, I had been crying all day," she said.

The small Starbucks gesture helped warm her broken heart.

This story was first reported by Wayne Covil at WTVR in Richmond, Virginia.

More New York state Starbucks locations are now set to vote to decide if workers there want to unionize. Many see the effort as having the ability to possibly pick up steam in other parts of the country.

As Bloomberg reported, Nancy Wilson, an acting regional director of the National Labor Relations Board ordered ballots be sent out to Starbucks employees by Jan. 31, and be returned by Feb. 22. Employees at the three additional stores will vote to decide if they would like to join Workers United which is affiliated with Service Employees International Union which won elections recently at two other Starbucks sites in Buffalo.

So far, only two out of 9,000 of Starbuck's corporate-run locations are unionized, which comprises over 230,000 employees, the New York Times reported.

Reggie Borges, a spokesperson for Starbucks was quoted in the Times using a little different language, saying that the company was not anti-union, but instead was “pro-partner,” with its employees. Borges says that the company has historically listened to its workers' feedback and made changes that make unionizing unnecessary.

In early January, unionized Starbucks employees in upstate New York staged a walkout citing fears over COVID-19 safety amid a surge of virus cases. As the Associated Press reported, six of those employees formed a picket line outside of one of the stores in Buffalo causing it to decide to close for the day, after around a third of the staff did not report to work because of safety fears.

Borges said that Starbucks had met and exceeded CDC and expert guidelines and offered vaccine and isolation pay to employees.

“Over and above that, all leaders are empowered to make whatever changes make sense for their neighborhood, which includes shortening store hours or moving to 100% takeout only, which is the case in Buffalo,” Borges said.

Starbucks workers at various cities across the U.S., in cities including Knoxville, Tenn., Tallahassee, Fla., Seattle, Chicago, Boston and Denver, have reportedly been seeking to follow the model of Buffalo in seeking to vote to organize unions, according to the New York Times.

In a 2006 statement on Starbucks' corporate website, the company addresses its long-held perspective on unionizing writing, "While Starbucks respects the free choice of our partners, we firmly believe that our work environment, coupled with our outstanding compensation and benefits, make unions unnecessary at Starbucks. We respect our partners’ right to organize, but believe that they would not find it necessary given our pro-partner environment." 

John Logan, a labor studies professor at San Francisco State University told the New York Times that unionizing has traditionally been effective when aimed at companies with a small number of large workplaces, as striking at one of less than 20 large factories can cause a disruption. But, striking at one or a few out of 9,000 Starbucks stores across the country would likely make little to no difference to the profits of a company as massive as Starbucks.

Starbucks said its U.S. workers must be fully vaccinated by Feb. 9 or face a weekly COVID-19 testing requirement.

The Seattle-based coffee giant said Monday it was acting in response to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which issued a vaccine-or-test requirement for companies with more than 100 employees in November.

Related video above: Tips to navigate the vaccine conversation professionally and personally

The requirement, which has faced numerous court challenges, was upheld last month by a three-judge panel with the U.S. Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court is scheduled to consider the requirement on Friday.

Starbucks is requiring its 228,000 U.S. employees to disclose their vaccination status by Jan. 10.

"I recognize that partners have a wide spectrum of views on vaccinations, much like the rest of the country," Starbucks Chief Operating Officer John Culver said in a letter sent to employees in late December. "My responsibility, and that of every leader, is to do whatever we can to help keep you safe and create the safest work environment possible."

Starbucks said full vaccination means two shots of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

If a Starbucks employee chooses to test weekly instead, they must pay the cost of testing themselves and get tested at a pharmacy, clinic or other testing site where someone is observing the test. Religious or medical accommodations will be considered, but to work in a store, employees must test weekly, the company said.

Employees who test positive will be able to use paid time to self-isolate. Starbucks said it is currently offering employees two instances of paid isolation time, both up to five days each.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Workers at a Starbucks store on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo have voted "yes" to become the first Starbucks store in the U.S. to unionize.

Workers from that location, along with workers at nearby Starbucks locations in Cheektowaga, New York and Hamburg, New York had been submitting ballots through the mail for the last four weeks

The workers garnered national attention in their effort to unionize, most recently with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) meeting with them and holding a town hall earlier in the week. They're are seeking better pay, particularly for longtime employees. Employees also seek more of a say in how the stores are run.

The vote total was 19 "yes" to eight "no."

If Starbucks chooses to recognize the union, or the National Labor Relations Board certifies the union, the company will be required to collectively bargain with the workers for a contract for employment. However, it's unclear how long those negotiations could take.

NPR reports that Starbucks had previously fought off unionization attempts in New York City and Philadelphia.

CNN reports that Starbucks employs 235,000 people at 9,000 stores across the country.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

This story was originally published by Paul Ross on Scripps station WKBW in Buffalo, New York.

Attention red cup fans: Starbucks is giving away reusable holiday cups for one day only.

Customers who order a handcrafted holiday beverage from U.S. Starbucks locations on Thursday will receive their drink in a "limited-edition reusable red cup."

Starbucks said that supplies are limited and the offer applies to all order methods, including through its app, in-person or via Uber Eats.

This year's reusable cup design features a "classic holiday red, with playful swirls of shimmering ribbon dancing against a starry sky," according to a press release. The same design is also used on its paper cups as part of the chain's broader holiday theme introduced earlier this month.

The cup is made from 50% recycled materials and customers can bring it back to Starbucks for a 10 cent discount on future drink orders.

To receive the reusable cup, customers must order a handcrafted holiday drink or fall beverage (hot, iced or blended). Those items include the apple crisp macchiato, peppermint mocha, pumpkin cream cold brew and toasted white hot chocolate. Regular brewed and iced coffee is not included in the promotion, nor are the holiday coffee blends such as Christmas Starbucks Reserve.

Starbucks' holiday-themed cups have become a tradition that drums up excitement among its loyal customers. This year, the chain expects to achieve record-breaking sales and anticipates more than $3 billion will be added to Starbucks' gift cards.

Starbucks has released this year's holiday-themed cups.

The coffee company released the cups on Thursday, which come in four designs: wrapping paper, ribbons on a gift box, holiday lights, and a candy cane.

Starbucks also announced they are releasing holiday-themed drinks as well.

This year, they are releasing an iced sugar cookie almond milk latte, the company's first-holiday beverage made with non-dairy milk.

Starbucks said it's bringing back its peppermint mocha and Irish cream cold brew.

They are also releasing a new holiday treat, reindeer cake pop.

Starbucks said Wednesday it is raising its U.S. employees' pay and making other changes to improve working conditions in its stores.

The Seattle-based coffee giant said all of its U.S. workers will earn at least $15 — and up to $23 — per hour by next summer. In late January, employees with two or more years of service will get a 5% raise, while those with five or more years of service could receive up to a 10% raise. Workers can also get a $200 recruitment bonus to help attract new employees.

In a letter to employees, Starbucks' North America President Rossann Williams said the pay raises not only support workers but will enhance recruitment efforts in a challenging labor market. Starbucks said it's the third time in 24 months that it has raised workers' pay.

The action comes amid some worker unrest for the company. Employees at three Starbucks stores in Buffalo, New York, are trying to form a union to give them greater leverage on issues like understaffing of stores and worker training. The group, Starbucks Workers United, has filed petitions with the National Labor Relations Board seeking union votes.

Starbucks, which has no unions at its 8,000 company-owned stores in the U.S., opposes that effort. The company has said it respects workers' right to organize but doesn't believe a union is necessary.

On Wednesday, Starbucks said it's redesigning and updating its training guide and adding more training time for workers. It said it also plans to test an app that will let workers sign up for available shifts that fit their schedule.

The company said it's also trying ways to streamline prep areas and reduce complexity, including testing new cold beverage stations in its stores.

A message seeking comment about Starbucks' wage announcement and other actions was left Wednesday with Starbucks Workers United.

A child actor from is breaking barriers as an up and coming star, interpreting ASL for Disney and debuting in an international Starbucks commercial — all within the past two months.

October is National Disability Awareness Month and 10-year-old Norah Luna said nothing is stopping her. Through an ASL interpreter, Norah Luna said it's been her dream to become a Hollywood actress.

"She's such a bright light and she is such an energy and a force," Norah's stepdad Michael Luna said.

Norah's acting career began when Disney recently put out a call for a talented child actor who was also fluent in ASL, and Norah certainly fit the bill.

The job was for Disney's World Princess Week, and the entertainment giant was quick to give Norah a call, offering her the role after reviewing her audition tapes.

"I was so excited!" Norah said. "I wanted to be involved in lots of different projects like this. So when Disney called me back, I was really excited to work with them."

Norah was born deaf and she's been fighting for ASL to become a part of mainstream media.

"If there is deaf children out there or other children that are interested, I think they should learn ASL," Norah said. "I think it's really important to have representation of ASL on screen not just having access to closed captioning."

Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Disney had Norah working from her own living room. At this point Norah has filmed seven different videos for their YouTube Channel, interpreting ASL.

Norah calls this a "game-changer" for the deaf community.

"(Closed) captioning is different because it's English. When I watch an interpreter signing, it's my native language and I'm able to understand it a lot easier. With captions sometimes I miss some of the information," Norah said.

Shortly after Norah signed on with Disney, Starbucks came knocking for a job that would be to star in an international commercial highlighting the beauty of American Sign Language.

The commercial showcases Norah approaching the counter at Starbucks with her co-star and mother in real life, Celina. Norah is seen talking with the barista, who is also fluent in ASL.

With each acting role, Norah hopes to motivate kids with disabilities to find what makes them shine. Her family is proud of the barriers Norah is breaking.

"Norah always showed appreciation when seeing people like her on TV. Whenever there was someone on a commercial or in a movie that was deaf, she would say 'Look that person is deaf!' So now she gets to be that person," Michael said. A deaf person — they can get married, they can drive a car, they can go to college. They can be successful actresses and really the only thing they can't do is hear, and that's not a bad thing."

Norah is now putting her acting money away for college. She's taking a short break from acting to focus on the fifth grade. Although Norah plans to start auditioning for roles again when school is no longer in session.

Watch the video above for the full story.

Customers at Starbucks will have new ways to pay for their drinks and food while still earning stars in their rewards program.

The changes to the Starbucks Rewards loyalty program begins Tuesday, September 15.

Customers have complained for years about the need to reload their Starbucks card in order to spend money at the coffee giant and earn loyalty stars. In order for customers to earn stars in their loyalty program, customers had to use a Starbucks card or gift card to pay. This forced regular customers to constantly reload their card to ensure there was enough money for their purchases.

Starting Tuesday, alternative ways to pay will be allowed and still allow members to earn stars for purchases. Alternative methods include debit/credit cards, cash, and select mobile wallets.

However, there’s a catch.

Customers paying with their Starbucks card or gift card will earn two loyalty stars per $1 spent, and those paying with alternative methods will earn one star per $1 spent.

The week after Labor Day has historically represented the unofficial start of fall, and though most leaves have retained their green color, the season of pumpkin spice is already in full effect.

On Aug. 24 -- a full month before the official start of fall -- Starbucks posted a tweet that sent half of the internet into a frenzy, while the other half shook their heads in despair: "Pumpkin has entered the chat."

It was a de facto announcement about the return of the coffee chain's cult favorite Pumpkin Spice Latte, a drink some look forward to all year. A week earlier, competitor Dunkin' posted about the return of their own pumpkin coffee confection.

Every year, it feels like pumpkin spice mania comes earlier and earlier. Though some of these products may be blatant marketing ploys, some segments of society seem to welcome it back with open arms every time. From coffee to candles to deodorant, pumpkin spice is ubiquitous -- a signal that fall is upon us once more. Even if it's still 90 degrees outside and there's nary a golden leaf in sight, it's suddenly time for fires, apple picking and cozy sweaters. Fall begins when we say it does!

But why do so many crave the return of this season so much? What are we really reaching for when we cling to the edge of fall's garment, hoping it will envelop us sooner than it has before?

Part of it is nostalgia. Part of it is the warmth the season brings. But it could also just be the events of the past 18 months that are causing many of us to feel ready for fall early.

With fall, comes nostalgia

Some of the joyous anticipation of fall is just that: anticipation. When our mouths drool while imagining warm mugs of apple cider and pumpkin bread, it's the anticipation that gets us excited, rather than the actual reward, one psychologist says.

"So come August, we're like fall is kind of around the corner, we're anticipating all the good things that are coming," said Richard Lopez, professor of psychology at Bard College.

There are powerful cues that play into the nostalgia surrounding fall -- possibly even more so than with other seasons. There's a nip in the air, the leaves are different colors, kids and their oversized backpacks are schlepping to school -- all of these signs are triggers that, oftentimes, remind us of our younger selves, Lopez said.

Think of holidays like Halloween, and the childlike joy it brings, with its costumes and bright orange-wrapped chocolate. Or even specials like "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." These are things that bring many of us back to an earlier, more simpler time.

Those layers of positive memories and nostalgia, coupled with the anticipation of what's to come, all play into the excitement many feel about fall, Lopez said.

"It's this change of season; there's a lot of things to look forward to. We had those same experiences when we were young," he said. "Other times of year, there isn't that effect with that nostalgia or that anticipation."

Tom Hanks' character in the 1998 movie "You've Got Mail" sums it up perfectly: "Don't you love New York in the fall?" he asks. "It makes me want to buy school supplies."

Fall can offer comfort in tumultuous times

But when we think of fall, it's not just nostalgia at play. There's a cozy aspect as well, visions of s'mores and snuggly hayrides. Even in beloved pumpkin spice sweets, it's not the pumpkin flavor that most people love, it's the warming spices of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger.

The season, quite literally, makes people feel warm. And by extension, that could make folks feel safe, or cared for. The general wariness many feel from the last 18 months due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest last summer and climate change-related weather events this year, could also be part of why people are craving fall sooner rather than later.

Human beings naturally want certainty and order, Lopez said. Recent events, amplified by social media and near-instant access to news, have denied that.

"It's just a lot to handle," he said. "All these things were true before, but we didn't have these kinds of events at this scale to force us to think about it."

This could make this upcoming fall a little more difficult, Lopez said.

"We want that feeling of safety and coziness, but ... in previous years, pre-Covid, we'd have an active spring and an active summer, and then we'd love to go home and cozy up," he said. "But home is a strange place now, because we've spent so much time here."

It means that those associations we've had with home, safety, coziness, comfort -- maybe even fall -- could be changing.

That doesn't mean that fall won't be as cozy as it has been in the past, or that those first few sips of sweet pumpkin coffee won't hit. It just means many Americans are different now than they were prior to March 2020. It's OK if fall feels different, too.

After surging in the spring, the prices of goods like lumber, corn and soybeans have come back down to Earth. Coffee is headed in the opposite direction.

What's happening: Futures for robusta coffee, which is often used to make espresso, recently jumped as high as $2,024 per ton, their highest level in four years. Analysts are pointing to adverse weather in Brazil as well as COVID-19 restrictions in Vietnam.

"Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world," Warren Patterson, ING's head of commodities strategy, told me. "They've been hit with quite a bad drought this year and it's been followed by frost," which has seriously harmed the country's coffee trees.

Arabica futures for December are up 3% this month after climbing 18% in July.

What it means: Companies like Starbucks buy coffee ahead of time and have hedging strategies in place to lock in prices. But J.M. Smucker, which owns the Folgers and Dunkin' coffee brands, said last week that rising costs will still affect its business, especially since it's already contending with more expensive transportation and packaging.

"As we came into the fiscal year, we were anticipating mid single-digit cost inflation as a percent of our total cost of goods sold," J.M. Smucker's Chief Financial Officer Tucker Marshall told analysts. "Now we're seeing high single-digit cost inflation."

Consumers could pay some of the difference. JDE Peet's, whose coffee portfolio includes Peet's Coffee and Stumptown, said earlier this month that it had some hedging "in place" but was thinking hard about its pricing strategy.

Another commodity that's been on the rise recently is oil. Prices are being closely monitored on Monday for effects from Hurricane Ida, which has now weakened to a tropical storm. More than 95% of the Gulf of Mexico's oil production facilities have been shut down, regulators said Sunday.

Brent crude futures were gaining ground even before Ida hit, rising 11.5% last week thanks to optimism that China appeared to have the delta variant under control. It was the best week for the global oil benchmark since spring 2020.

Economists often strip out volatile energy and food prices when they track inflation. But higher costs can still impact inflation expectations among businesses and consumers, which are closely tracked by central banks like the Federal Reserve.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated Friday that the central bank, which has been buying $120 billion worth of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities every month since the height of the pandemic to support the economy, will start pumping the brakes before the end of the year.

Yet data on inflation — and how long it will persist — remains murky, as weather events and ongoing supply chain pressures throw new curveballs. That complicates the decision-making process for policymakers at a delicate moment.

Several national retailers say they’ll continue to require face coverings in their stores even as Texas and some other states lift mask requirements.

Both the Lone Star State and Mississippi announced Tuesday that they’d end their face mask requirements in public spaces and said they’d allow businesses to reopen at 100% capacity as COVID-19 cases dip across the country.

Other states have taken similar actions, despite warnings from public health officials that the pandemic is far from over and easing restrictions threatens the nation’s recovery.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top expert on infectious diseases, criticized these states for lifting their mask mandates, calling the decision “inexplicable” and “ill-advised.”

Though these states aren’t requiring their residents to wear masks, many national stores are continuing to ask all customers to do so, at least for now.

Below is a list of major retailers continuing mask policies:

Target

A Target spokesperson said in a statement Thursday that the company is still requiring its guests and employees to wear masks or face coverings in all of its stores, except for guests with underlying medical conditions and young children. And as more Americans get vaccinated for COVID-19, Target is still asking those who have received a vaccine to wear masks and follow all social distancing guidelines.

Kroger

Kroger, the country’s largest chain of groceries, said in a statement Thursday that it will continue to require everyone in its stores to wear masks until “all our frontline grocery associates can receive the COVID-19 vaccine.” The company owns stores under different names as well, including King Soopers, Ralphs and Dillons. It’s also advocating for federal, state and local officials to prioritize grocery workers in vaccine rollout plans.

CVS

CVS said in a statement Thursday that its face covering policy remains in effect at all of its pharmacies nationwide, based on federal public health recommendations. The company said, “if a customer is not wearing a mask or face covering, we will refer them to our signage and ask that they help protect themselves and those around them by listening to the experts and heeding the call to wear a face covering.”

Walgreens

Like CVS, fellow pharmacy chain Walgreens says its masking policy is not changing. It still requires team members and customers to wear masks, unless doing so would inhibit the individual’s health or if the person is under 2 years old. “We have signage on doors and make announcements over the store's public address system to remind customers that face covers are required,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

ALDI

ALDI, a grocery chain which has locations in both Texas and Mississippi, said it doesn’t plan to make any adjustments to its safety measures at this time. A company spokesperson said in a statement, “For the health and well-being of the communities we serve and for the protection of our employees, we will maintain our current nationwide policy requiring all employees and customers to wear a face covering when shopping in our stores.”

Starbucks

Starbucks will also keep enforcing its face mask requirements for its staff and customers. In a statement, a spokesperson said the coffee company will “continue to make decisions rooted in facts and science and are committed to meeting or exceeding public health mandates.”

Others

Reports from USA Today, Bloomberg and CBS News show additional companies, like Best Buy, Kohl’s, and Macy’s are also continuing their mask mandates. We’ve reached out to them for confirmation and are waiting to hear back.

CDC still asking people to mask up

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is continuing to ask Americans to mask up when in public spaces to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus to prevent any more spikes in cases. Click here to learn more about masking.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. —

Related video above: The Best Time to Drink Coffee Is Not Necessarily as Soon as You Wake Up

An angry Florida man pulled a gun on a drive-thru worker because they forgot the cream cheese with his bagel, according to Miami Gardens police. The employee just happened to be the daughter of the police chief.

Police said the man became angry at a Starbucks drive-thru when they messed up his order earlier this week. He returned to the window, screaming at the employee. She asked whether he had paid for the cream cheese, at which point he became enraged and pulled out a gun, according to an arrest report.

Chief Delma Noel-Pratt told CBS4 that the experience traumatized her 23-year-old daughter. The chief's daughter told police that the man did not point the gun at her, but that she feared he would hurt her if she didn't give him the cream cheese.

"She felt in fear of her life," Noel-Pratt said. "It was upsetting to me to know that someone would go to that extreme not having cream cheese on his bagel."

The woman gave the man his cream cheese and he drove away. According to an arrest report, he said he grabbed the gun and put it in the air because it was falling out of his pocket, but denied threatening the woman.

The suspect faces several charges including aggravated assault with a firearm. He was being held on a $10,000 bond. It's unclear if he has an attorney who could comment on the charges.