Dec 17 (Reuters) - The workers union representing more

than 10,000 Starbucks ( SBUX ) baristas said they have

authorized a potential strike, ahead of this year's final round

of bargaining talks with the coffee giant on Tuesday.

Workers United, which has a bargaining delegation that

represents workers at 525 Starbucks ( SBUX ) stores in the United States,

said the coffee giant has yet to bring a comprehensive economic

package to the table, while hundreds of legal disputes over

unfair labor practices remain unsettled.

The union, which has been urging Starbucks ( SBUX ) to increase wages

and staffing at its stores as well as implement better

schedules, said it had not yet decided on when to go on strike.

Starbucks ( SBUX ) did not immediately respond to a Reuters request

for comment.

Negotiations between Starbucks ( SBUX ) and Workers United began in

April on a "foundational framework" to guide collective

bargaining in the country and potentially settle pending legal

disputes.

The previous round of negotiations took place in September,

just weeks after former Chipotle Mexican Grill top boss

Brian Niccol's surprise appointment as Starbucks' ( SBUX ) chief.

Ahead of the September talks, Niccol, in response to a

letter by some baristas from the bargaining delegation, said he

was committed to "engage constructively" with the union.

As of Sept. 29, the coffee chain has more than 11,000

company-operated stores in the U.S., employing about 200,000

workers, according to an annual filing.

This week, Starbucks ( SBUX ) raised its paid paternal leave by up to

18 weeks from 6 weeks for workers at its company-operated

stores, which would be applicable from March.

The coffee chain is in the midst of a turnaround as Niccol

works to bring back "coffee house culture" at Starbucks ( SBUX ) by

implementing an overhaul of its cafes, by adding more

comfortable seating, reducing customer wait time to less than

four minutes, and simplifying its menu.