Thousands of Starbucks workers will walk out of hundreds of locations to protest working conditions and better benefits on Thursday, one of the company’s most profitable days of the year.

The strike was planned by Starbucks Workers United, representing around 9,000 employees at 360 stores, on "Red Cup Day," the day Starbucks releases its collectible red holiday cups.

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Titled the "Red Cup Rebellion," workers are raising alarms about understaffing, which especially affects employees on days such as Nov. 16. Customers can receive a free, reusable cup by ordering a holiday drink at participating Starbucks locations.

Other demands include a base pay of $20 per hour for all baristas and $25.40 for shift supervisors, a commitment to annual raises of 5%, and cost-of-living adjustments. Workers are also asking for protections such as a “commitment to racial justice, including protections against racial harassment and bigotry from customers, co-workers and managers,” and commitment to zero tolerance of sexual harassment.

The strike is taking place less than two weeks after Starbucks said it would raise the hourly pay by at least 3% at the start of next year.

Last year, the National Labor Relations Board accused Starbucks of intimidating workers trying to unionize by closing down stores. Starbucks has repeatedly denied the company engaged in any sort of retaliatory activity when specific employees raised complaints.

“When we secure Fair Election Principles as part of our contract with Starbucks, the company will be held to an ethical code of conduct designed to safeguard the organizing process. This will allow partners at not-yet-union stores across the country to join our union quickly and freely, without reprisals,” the November proposal reads.

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Last year, the union held a similar walkout on Red Cup Day, calling out the company for alleged union-busting actions. Thousands of employees waged a single-day strike, affecting more than 100 Starbucks locations and marking the union's largest coordinated effort since forming in 2021. Despite the record number of walkouts, Red Cup Day was still the biggest sales event of last year.

Amid worker’s pleas for fair wages, Starbucks saw record-breaking sales revenue in the fourth quarter of the 2022 fiscal year, bringing in $1.1 billion in profits and even more in the fourth quarter of FY23, sitting at $1.6 billion.