Red Cup Day is the name of the day on which Starbucks launches their holiday drinks. The night before (or early the morning of), baristas across the country come in and spend a few hours to decorate the store and bring in the holiday cheer. 

  It is an anticipated day by most Starbucks customers. The drinks that come around during the season are some of our customers’ favorites and our own. 

  Starbucks has been decorating single-use paper cups for the holidays since 1997. In 2018 they took it a step further and released a reusable red cup that customers could acquire—for free—with the purchase of a holiday drink (grande or larger) on Red Cup Day. 

  The tradition of the free cup has brought more customers into stores on Red Cup Day than ever before. It has grown to become what I call the Starbucks version of Black Friday. 

  As baristas we do our best at all times to efficiently make drinks while still trying to bring a smile to our customers’ faces; Red Cup Day is no exception. But this day is also a day of consistent, overwhelming movement that leaves baristas drained. 

  It is because of this that I’ve started this petition. Baristas work harder this day than any other day and they deserve to be compensated for it. If you are a regular Starbucks drinker, a barista for the company, or just care about others please join me by signing this petition for your local Starbucks baristas to get paid time and a half on Red Cup Day.