Baristas vs Billionaires: The Fight to Unionize Starbucks

A new documentary titled Baristas vs. Billionaires chronicles the five-year effort by Starbucks employees to organize and secure union contracts, highlighting a broader resurgence of rank-and-file militancy across the United States labor market.

The film, directed by Academy Award nominee Mark Mori and produced by actor Alec Baldwin, focuses on the trajectory of the Starbucks Workers United campaign. The movement began in 2021 with the unionization of the first Starbucks store in the U.S., located in Buffalo, New York. Since that initial vote, the campaign has expanded to more than 600 stores across the country.

Despite the number of stores that have voted to unionize, the documentary and its creators emphasize that workers are still fighting to secure their first contract with the coffee corporation. The film features testimonies from workers and organizers who describe a climate of retaliation, including store closures and firings.

A History of Labor Struggle

Director Mark Mori, who previously worked in a steel mill for five years as a member of the steelworkers union, stated that he viewed the unionization efforts at companies like Starbucks, Amazon and Trader Joe’s as a building movement among young people in their 20s. Mori compared the current momentum to labor shifts seen in the 1930s.

The struggle is framed within a significant historical decline in American union density. During the post-World War II era of industrial unionism, approximately one in every three workers in the U.S. Belonged to a union. Currently, that figure has dropped to one in 10 workers.

The documentary highlights the intensity of the corporate response to these efforts. In the film, Senator Bernie Sanders characterizes the company’s actions as follows:

“Starbucks has waged the most aggressive and illegal union busting campaign in the modern history of our country.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders

Workers featured in the film describe a range of hardships, from an inability to afford medical bills despite having healthcare through the company to qualifying for food stamps after having their hours reduced.

High-Profile Advocacy and Industry Dynamics

The production of Baristas vs. Billionaires is a SAG-AFTRA film and features Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon as the narrator. Producer Alec Baldwin, a lifelong union member, discussed the importance of utilizing the visibility of high-profile union members to support working-class struggles.

Baldwin noted the disparity between high-earning superstars and the workaday actors who struggle to pay bills. He argued that the primary purpose of a union should be to protect the interests of those who do not earn millions of dollars, noting that for many in the industry, it remains a constant struggle to earn a living.

Regarding the corporate structure of the entertainment industry, Baldwin described major Hollywood studios as being in the potato chip business rather than the gourmet food business, meaning the majority of their output is designed for entertainment and profit rather than consciousness-raising. However, he suggested that if labor-focused films like Baristas vs. Billionaires find success, it could encourage more studios to explore stories of worker struggle.

Baldwin also commented on the business model of Starbucks, contending that the company’s growth was facilitated by the exploitation of labor. He questioned whether the company could sustain its current monolith status if a significant percentage of its locations were forced to sign union contracts, which might lead to higher prices and reduced competitiveness in certain states.

Broader Labor Context and Screenings

The Starbucks drive is part of a wider trend of increased strike actions over the last decade. This includes the Red for Ed teacher strikes of 2018 and 2019, the United Auto Workers standup strike of 2023, the 2023 Hollywood writers and actors strikes, and a meatpacking worker strike in Colorado in April 2026.

The documentary is currently screening at various festivals and venues. Following a screening at the Atlanta Film Festival on April 28, 2026, and a showing at the Reel Work Labor Film Festival in Santa Cruz, California, on April 29, 2026, the film is scheduled for a screening in Jacksonville, Florida, on June 20, 2026.

the film will have a one-week run at the Terra Theater in Atlanta beginning May 8, 2026. The opening night at the Terra Theater will serve as a benefit for Starbucks Workers United.

Information regarding community screenings and tickets is available through the film’s official website at baristasvsbillionaires.com.