New York City Mayor-Elect Calls for Starbucks Boycott
Newly elected Mayor of New York City, Zoran Mamdani, has urged his social media followers to support a boycott of Starbucks during the current nationwide union strike.
“Starbucks employees across the country are on an unfair labor practice strike and fighting for a fair contract,” he stated on X. “I won’t buy Starbucks while workers are on strike. We want you to join us.”
He emphasized, “Together we can send a powerful message: ‘No contracts, no coffee.’
Mamdani confirmed in an additional post that the strike is positioned to be the most extensive and longest-running “unfair labor practice” (ULP) strike in the history of Starbucks, with employees in 41 cities engaging in what they term the “Red Cup Rebellion.”
The union’s social media accounts promoted a call to action, urging consumers to refrain from purchasing Starbucks products while the strike continues. Thursday, coincidentally, was the company’s annual “Red Cup Day,” where customers typically receive a festive red cup with any purchase. This date also marked the deadline for Starbucks to finalize a new contract deal proposed by unionized baristas, with negotiations set to begin in February 2024.
“Without a set end date for the strike, unless Starbucks can reach a fair union contract and address the unfair labor practice charges, baristas at over 550 union stores are ready to escalate actions,” the union communicated.
Starbucks Workers United is endorsed by the New York City Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), under which Mamdani’s movement falls, identifying as a democratic socialist.
During a video discussion about the “Red Cup Rebellion,” Olivia, the labor co-chair of the DSA, remarked, “This is next, right? If we elect Zoran as mayor, we’ll support our brothers at Starbucks Workers United and stand with them on the picket line.”
Interestingly, Starbucks claimed that almost all of its stores remained open when the strike initiated. Support for the striking workers has also come from figures like Sen. Bernie Sanders, who reiterated his solidarity via a post on X, advocating for fair pay and benefits for employees.
“I stand in solidarity with the striking Starbucks workers,” he wrote Saturday. “If companies can pay their CEOs $96 million for just four months of work, they can afford to pay their employees a living wage and decent benefits.”
