NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani Urges Starbucks Boycott As Union Workers Strike Across US
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is calling on his massive online following to join a boycott of Starbucks, declaring solidarity with striking baristas across the United States. The move comes as the self-described socialist prepares to take office on a platform that includes free public buses, universal child care, and a citywide rent freeze.
“Starbucks workers across the country are on an Unfair Labor Practices strike, fighting for a fair contract,” Mamdani wrote Thursday night on X. “While workers are on strike, I won’t be buying any Starbucks, and I’m asking you to join us. Together, we can send a powerful message: No contract, no coffee.”
His transition spokesperson, Dora Pekec, underscored his pro-labor stance, saying, “New Yorkers can absolutely expect the Mayor-elect to stand unequivocally with labor.”
The call to action came as Starbucks employees in more than two dozen cities walked off the job during “Red Cup Day,” one of the company’s most profitable annual promotions when customers receive free holiday-themed cups. Despite the strike, Starbucks reported that roughly 99.9% of its stores continued operating.
Starbucks Workers United, representing roughly 9,000 employees out of the company’s more than 200,000 baristas, said the walkout was necessary to push for fair contract negotiations. The group accused the coffee giant of dragging its feet and warned that the work stoppages could grow if progress remains stalled.
Starbucks has rejected those claims, maintaining that the union’s proposals are unrealistic and insisting it already provides generous pay and benefits. The company said it offers “the best job in retail,” citing an average hourly wage of $19—equivalent to more than $30 when factoring in healthcare, tuition reimbursement, and other benefits.
This week’s strike marks the fourth national labor action organized by the union since 2023, and the third since CEO Brian Niccol assumed leadership in 2024. Although both sides appeared close to a deal earlier this year, negotiations collapsed soon after amid mutual accusations of bad faith.
Workers United says it has filed over 1,000 complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing Starbucks of retaliatory behavior such as firing union activists and closing stores that vote to organize. The NLRB itself has charged the company with anti-union tactics—allegations Starbucks firmly denies.
The current disruption echoes last year’s Red Cup Day, when similar strikes temporarily shuttered around 60 locations nationwide. That campaign drew attention to long-standing friction between management and employees demanding more influence in workplace decisions.
Under Niccol’s leadership, the company has tried to boost morale through small initiatives, including a widely mocked plan to purchase 200,000 Sharpies so employees could write friendly messages on coffee cups. Baristas quickly criticized the idea, saying the practice was time-consuming and risked being misinterpreted as flirting.
Adding to the tension, Starbucks has shuttered hundreds of locations in recent months, including 59 unionized stores, some with only days of notice. The sudden closures have caused confusion and outrage in New York City, where workers, local officials, and landlords were left scrambling in the aftermath.
{Matzav.com}
