Starbucks Red Cup Day 2023 is not without its own dose of controversy.

The mega-popular coffee chain is expected to offer its free reusable red holiday cups on Thursday, Nov. 17. The tradition generally involves the giveaway of a 16-ounce reusable red cup with the purchase of any holiday or fall beverage at participating Starbucks stores. Customers who return with the cup receive a 10-cent discount on future beverage purchases plus bonus stars for Starbucks Rewards.

Starbucks has not confirmed the date of this year’s Red Cup Day but the group Starbucks Workers United has in its call for a walkout on that day. The union is calling on Starbucks to “stop illegally refusing to bargain with baristas over staffing, scheduling and other issues,” including lack of extra help during promotions such as Red Cup Day.

“Red Cup Day (Nov. 16th) is Starbucks’s biggest sales event of the season – and also one of the most infamously hard, understaffed days for the baristas that work them,” the union said in a release. “In addition to our nationwide (unfair labor practices) strike on the 16th, we’re also asking customers and allies to lead actions at Starbucks stores in their communities in solidarity with workers rising up for a fairer workplace.”

In a statement, Starbucks said any possible actions involve a “small subset of our U.S. stores.”

“We remain committed to working with all partners, side-by-side, to elevate the everyday, and we hope that Workers United’s priorities will shift to include the shared success of our partners and working to negotiate contracts for those they represent,” the statement said. “As we join together to uplift the holiday season and reflect on the past year, we again call on Workers United to fulfill their obligations and engage in the work of negotiating first contracts on behalf of the partners they represent. Starbucks remains ready to progress in-person negotiations with the unions certified to represent partners.”

Earlier this week, Starbucks announced it was increasing hourly wages and benefits for most U.S. workers starting Jan. 1. Eligible hourly workers will see a 3% incremental pay increase, while those with the company 5 years or longer will get at least 5%.