Sen. Patty Murray has stepped into the melee between Starbucks and its unionized workers to push for the resumption of contract negotiations ahead of a strike planned at some stores for Thursday.

Murray urged Brian Niccol, CEO of the Seattle-based coffee giant, Wednesday to return to the table to negotiate in good faith" with Starbucks Workers United, the union representing thousands of baristas, according to a letter shared exclusively with The Seattle Times.

The Democratic U.S. senator representing Washington state said she was "cautiously optimistic" that the two parties can reach a collective bargaining agreement.

Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson pinned the delay on the union.

"Workers United, which represents only 4% of our partners, chose to walk away from the bargaining table. We’ve asked them to return — many times," she said Wednesday. "If they’re ready to come back, we’re ready to talk. We believe we can move quickly to a reasonable deal."

Michelle Eisen, a Workers United spokesperson and barista of 15 years, cheered the move by Murray.

"We want Starbucks to succeed," she said Wednesday. "Turning the company around and bringing customers back begins with listening to and supporting the baristas who are responsible for the Starbucks experience."

Murray, who said she's been bolstered by calls from constituents, backed the union's effort to finalize its first contract. Her letter comes ahead of a strike planned to begin in some Starbucks stores on Red Cup Day, a major holiday promotional event, Thursday.

Union workers voted last week in favor of authorizing the strike. Workers United said the strike could hit 25 cities at first, though baristas are prepared to escalate those actions.

The union declined to provide further details Wednesday on how many stores in Washington would participate.

In her letter, Murray said 38 of 655 unionized stores are in Washington.

However, the exact number of workers and coffeehouses represented by Workers United has been unclear as of late. The union said it represents around 12,000 baristas across the country, while Starbucks has contested that 9,500 employees are unionized across 550 stores.

The two parties also differ on why contract negotiations have stalled.

Workers United previously said the company hasn’t offered proposals that meet baristas’ demands, such as increased hours, higher take-home pay and resolution of labor law violations.

Murray echoed the union's claims of unfair labor practice charges against Starbucks. Workers United said it’s filed over 1,000 unfair labor practice charges against the coffee giant, and more than 700 are unresolved.

Sara Kelly, the company’s chief partner officer, said some of the union's proposals weren't "serious" or "evidence based," according to her letter sent to Starbucks employees last week.

After winning the first union election in 2021, Starbucks and Workers United have been at the bargaining table since early 2024. The union has previously held strikes on the annual Red Cup Day, including one last year that took place across five days and closed about 60 coffeehouses.

Anderson emphasized that business will mostly carry on as usual Thursday.

"In the event a coffeehouse experiences a temporary closure as a result of Workers United’s actions, I can assure there will be stores nearby open and ready to serve customers," she said. "We have plenty of Red Cups to give away and are excited to have a great day with our customers."

For her part, Murray is ready to see a contract cross the finish line.

"I believe that the time to come to an agreement has long passed and urge you to immediately come to the table," Murray wrote. "I look forward to a serious agreement that provides over 12,000 unionized Starbucks workers across the country with fair pay and working conditions.

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