Baristas at hundreds of Starbucks in California and elsewhere in the U.S. plan to strike in the days before Christmas as plans to negotiate a contract stall.

The walkouts in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle come after talks between the company and the workers’ union failed to produce an agreement on raises.

As Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly expand sales of their popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs, cheaper copies of their patented remedies are winning approval from some regulators overseas, posing a threat to the pharma giants' prices and market share.