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Unionized Starbucks workers in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle will strike for five days starting Friday over still-unresolved issues involving wages, staffing, and schedules. It is one of a new wave of labor actions from industries as varied as auto and rail that are resulting in workers getting concessions like those granted to Starbucks employees.

The union represents over 10,000 baristas at 525 Starbucks stores in the country and warned on Monday that walkouts may spread to hundreds of places by Christmas Eve.

Based in Seattle, the company said that it remains prepared to sit at the table with Workers United union, which they said union representatives ended an earlier bargaining session prematurely. Reuters reported that Starbucks said that it had already held nine bargaining sessions since April, and there was progress over a number of issues but did not adequately address baristas' immediate wage concerns as well as other labor practices.

Negotiations started earlier this year under a framework to settle long-standing disputes, including charges of unfair labor practices filed before the National Labor Relations Board.

Labor Complaints Against Starbucks

Complaints included that Starbucks has been engaging in activities such as firing pro-union employees and closing stores during unionization efforts, claims Starbucks denies. The NLRB recently found that Starbucks violated labor laws when it threatened to withhold benefits from unionized workers.

Union President Lynne Fox spoke out against Starbucks' tactics, "Workers won't stand for not being invested enough."

But it seems the pro-employee agenda is not on the table as Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol, who has recently joined the company to reboot its brand, only shared plans to rebuild a "coffee house culture" by renovating stores and menu simplicity. Analysts, however, believe that tese efforts fall in line with operational adjustments meant to improve its working.