IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - Workers at two Iowa Starbucks locations are picketing as part of a national strike Thursday.

The South Clinton Street Starbucks in Iowa City will be striking from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

A Des Moines location is also striking Thursday. The store on Merle Hay Road will strike from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The strikes are part of a national effort from Starbucks Workers United to improve staffing, wages and labor practices. The strike began November 13 after six months of contract negations between the union and corporate leadership.

Unionized workers encourage customers to support them by not buying from the stores during the strike.

Around 550 company-owned U.S. Starbucks stores are currently unionized.

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