With less than a week until Christmas, Amazon and Starbucks employees are striking across the country as the companies and their workers remain at odds.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters launched what it billed as the largest strike against Amazon in U.S. history on Thursday morning. The union said the company refused to bargain with employees in time to meet its deadline of Dec. 15.

On Friday, Starbucks Workers United kicked off a strike expected to run through Christmas Eve. The Starbucks strike also revolves around an unfinished contract, as the union says Starbucks promised employees there would be an agreement by the end of this year.

Here's why and where Amazon and Starbucks employees are striking ahead of Christmas week.

Why are Amazon employees striking?

The Teamsters union is looking for Amazon to recognize a union contract that includes higher wages, better benefits and safer work conditions. Teamsters informed Amazon, according to a Teamsters news release, that employees would strike if contract demands were not met by Dec. 15.

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Amazon has repeatedly refused to recognize the Teamsters and said in statement to USA TODAY that the strike is not a legitimate representation of its workers.

"For more than a year now, the Teamsters have continued to intentionally mislead the public – claiming that they represent ‘thousands of Amazon employees and drivers,'" Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, said. "They don’t, and this is another attempt to push a false narrative."

Where are Amazon strikes happening?

Strikes are being held at Amazon warehouses in New York City, Atlanta, Southern California, San Francisco and Skokie, Illinois, according to a International Brotherhood of Teamsters news release.

Amazon workers without collective bargaining agreements also have the right to honor the picket line and withhold their labor, a Teamsters news release states.

How will Amazon strikes effect holiday deliveries?

Planning the strikes around the holiday season was part of the Teamsters' plan.

“If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a news release. “They’ve pushed workers to the limit and now they’re paying the price. This strike is on them.”

According to Nantel, Amazon is not seeing an impact in its customers' orders because of the strikes.

Why are Starbucks employees striking?

Starbucks employees began their strike due to a lack of progress in contact negotiations with the company.

Specifically, Starbucks Workers United is seeking a base rate of $20 per hour for all baristas, a base rate of $25.40 per hour for supervisors, 5% annual raises and cost of living adjustments, according to the Starbucks Workers United website. The union is also looking for automatic 401(k) retirement plan enrollment, 100% employer-paid healthcare accessible to part- and full-time employees and 13 days of paid sick leave for all employees, among other demands.

Starbucks spokesperson Phil Gee told USA TODAY on Friday that Starbucks Workers United "prematurely" ended the two entities bargaining session earlier this week.

"It is disappointing they didn’t return to the table given the progress we’ve made to date," Gee said. "Since April, we’ve held more than nine bargaining sessions over 20 days. We’ve reached over 30 meaningful agreements on hundreds of topics Workers United delegates told us were important to them, including many economic issues."

According to Gee, Starbucks offers an average pay of more than $18 per hour with benefits like healthcare, free college tuition, paid family leave and company stock grants.

"Workers United proposals call for an immediate increase in the minimum wage of hourly partners by 64%, and by 77% over the life of a three-year year contract," Gee said. "This is not sustainable."

Starbucks Workers United did not immediately respond for comment about the strike and negotiations when contacted by USA TODAY on Friday.

Where are Starbucks strikes happening?

Starbucks Workers United began hosting strikes at Starbucks locations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle on Friday, according to a post on X by the labor union. Each day, through Dec. 24, the labor union anticipates hosting strikes in more cities.

How will the Starbucks strike effect business?

Gee told USA TODAY on Friday that there hasn't been a widespread impact on Starbucks stores.

"We are aware of disruption at a small handful of stores, but the overwhelming majority of our U.S. stores remain open and serving customers as normal," Gee said.

Contributing: James Powel, Natalie Neysa Alund

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].