The strike over wages and staffing issues comes during one of the coffee chain’s busiest times of the year.

The Starbucks union said the strike at Starbucks has expanded to more than 300 of the coffee chain’s stores in the United States, with more than 5,000 employees expected to strike.

this five days strike The campaign will end later Tuesday, just in time for the Christmas holiday, one of Starbucks’ busiest times of the year.

starbucks workers unionMore than 60 U.S. stores in 12 major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle were closed Monday, according to representatives representing employees at 525 stores across the country.

Negotiations between Starbucks and the union have stalled over unresolved issues including wages, staffing and schedules, leading to the strike that began Friday.

Through a union contract, improved benefits, wages and working conditions can be put in writing and cannot be reduced without bargaining, according to the United Workers website.

Tuesday’s Christmas Eve strike is expected to be the largest ever at the coffee chain, the union added. “These strikes are an initial show of strength and we are just getting started,” one barista in Oregon said in a union statement.

Starbucks, which has more than 10,000 company-operated stores in the United States, said 98% of its stores were still open, with about 170 of them closed on Tuesday.

The company said on Monday it expected a “very limited” impact on overall operations.

“We are prepared to continue negotiations when the union returns to the bargaining table,” the company said.

The Seattle-based company had previously claimed that union representatives ended bargaining sessions early.

Earlier this month, workers’ groups rejected proposals for no immediate pay rise and a guaranteed 1.5 per cent pay increase over the next few years.

The union also said Starbucks has yet to make “serious economic proposals” to employees.