Starbucks Workers Expand Strike in US Cities Including New York

Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
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Starbucks Workers Expand Strike in US Cities Including New York

Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)

Starbucks workers have expanded their strike to four more US cities, including New York, the union representing over 10,000 baristas said late on Saturday.

The five-day strike, which began on Friday and initially closed Starbucks cafes in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, has added New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis, Workers United said in a statement. It did not say where the New Jersey walkout was occurring.

Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.

Talks between the coffee chain and the union hit an impasse with unresolved issues over wages, staffing and schedules, leading to the strike.

The union is striking in 10 cities, also including Columbus, Denver and Pittsburgh, during the busy holiday season that may impact the company's Christmas sales.

Workers United warned on Friday that the strike could reach "hundreds of stores" by Tuesday, Christmas Eve.

Starbucks began negotiations with the union in April. It said this month it had conducted more than eight bargaining sessions, during which 30 agreements had been reached.

The company operates more than 11,000 stores in the United States, employing about 200,000 workers.



Saudi Energy, Bpifrance Sign Cooperation Agreement for Project Financing

Saudi Energy, Bpifrance Sign Cooperation Agreement for Project Financing
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Saudi Energy, Bpifrance Sign Cooperation Agreement for Project Financing

Saudi Energy, Bpifrance Sign Cooperation Agreement for Project Financing

Saudi Energy signed on Monday a cooperation agreement with the French public investment bank Bpifrance on project financing on the sidelines of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister’s state visit to France.

The agreement, signed during the Saudi-French Investment Roundtable Meeting, focuses on financing Saudi Energy’s projects to develop and expand the power grid. It aims to provide competitive financing solutions for the company’s procurement activities and projects.

It builds on a memorandum of understanding signed by the two sides in November 2025, which established a framework for procurement financing facilities to support Saudi Energy’s purchasing program and help diversify funding sources for its strategic projects.

The cooperation mechanism also involves BNP Paribas and HSBC as coordinators of the financing process, with efforts to broaden the pool of international lenders. This is intended to diversify liquidity sources and enhance financing flexibility for future projects.

The agreement reflects Saudi Energy’s efforts to leverage international financing instruments to support its projects, including power infrastructure projects, strengthen grid reliability and stability, and improve project execution efficiency.

It underscores the continued expansion of cooperation between Saudi and French entities and the development of partnerships across various sectors as part of efforts to strengthen strategic ties between the two countries.


RSGT, CMA CGM Sign SAR1.6 Billion Agreement to Develop Jeddah Islamic Port Terminal

RSGT, CMA CGM Sign SAR1.6 Billion Agreement to Develop Jeddah Islamic Port Terminal
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RSGT, CMA CGM Sign SAR1.6 Billion Agreement to Develop Jeddah Islamic Port Terminal

RSGT, CMA CGM Sign SAR1.6 Billion Agreement to Develop Jeddah Islamic Port Terminal

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) announced the signing of an agreement between Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) and French shipping group CMA CGM to develop and operate the fourth container terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port, with an investment of approximately SAR1.6 billion.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Saudi-French Investment Roundtable Meeting in the presence of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and French President Emmanuel Macron, reflecting the port’s strategic position and growing role in global trade.

The agreement builds on the strategic partnership between Mawani, RSGT, and CMA CGM, and reflects the growing partnerships with leading global companies to develop Saudi ports’ capabilities, support the growth of the maritime and logistics sector, and strengthen the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s connectivity to global trade networks.

The project aims to develop and operate the fourth container terminal with an annual capacity of approximately 2.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) under RSGT’s existing concession agreement, further bolstering Jeddah Islamic Port’s operational capacity to accommodate growth in trade volumes.

The project will also boost Jeddah Islamic Port’s ability to attract global shipping lines and services, increase cargo flows, and expand its connectivity with international markets, leveraging its strategic location on the Red Sea and maritime trade routes linking Asia, Europe, and Africa. This will support the smooth flow of exports and imports and enhance the efficiency and resilience of supply chains.


Trump Issues New Threats to Canada Over Trade

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND - AUGUST 21: US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One on August 21, 2026 in Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND - AUGUST 21: US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One on August 21, 2026 in Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP
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Trump Issues New Threats to Canada Over Trade

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND - AUGUST 21: US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One on August 21, 2026 in Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND - AUGUST 21: US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One on August 21, 2026 in Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP

Trump threatened Monday to impose a 50% tariff on Canadian automobiles, car parts and steel starting next year as the trade rift with Ottawa deepens.

Trade talks between the otherwise allies and reliable trading partners collapsed last week. Long-planned US tariffs on various Canadian goods went into effect after the talks broke off, and Canada has vowed to retaliate.

“Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years,” Trump posted on social media Monday morning. Criticizing Canada’s “ridiculously high tariffs” on American farmers, Trump wrote: “Not sustainable, and NOT ANYMORE!”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday that Ronald Reagan would be “throwing up” over President Donald Trump’s trade policies and threatened to cut off electricity and critical minerals to the United States.

Ford, speaking in an interview with The Associated Press, said Trump has underestimated Canadians’ willingness to endure economic pain rather than give in to US pressure.

“He underestimates Canada. We’re all in,” Ford said. “Up here, we’re at a fever pitch, everyone’s in for an economic war. They know they’re going to have to sacrifice.”