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New Delhi: The newly elected mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, extended his support to protestors and urged the public to boycott the coffee chain while the baristas are still on strike. While showing solidarity, he also encouraged the public to join him in the protest.
Mamdani took to X and wrote, "Starbucks workers across the country are on an Unfair Labor Practices strike, fighting for a fair contract. While workers are on strike, I won’t be buying any Starbucks, and I’m asking you to join us." Responding to a post on the “Starbucks Workers United” profile, Mamdani urged people to spread the powerful message: "No contract, no coffee." He also claimed that the strike would become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Mamdani's post received mixed reactions on social media. While some praised his move, others criticized his decision to support the protestors. One user pointed out that there are about 10,000 Starbucks stores in the US, of which only 650 are unionized—about 6.5 percent of all outlets. "You are barking up the wrong tree with this one,” the user warned.
Another critic argued that it is easy for politicians to call for strikes when they are not dependent on a $15/hour job. "It is the common people who end up paying more or going without. Moreover, these 'grandstanding' calls for ‘no coffee’ always hit workers harder than corporations,” the user added. A third user commented on the high price of coffee, asking who would pay $5–$7 for a trivial cup. Another stated that they would no longer purchase Starbucks coffee.
The strike was conducted to disrupt Starbucks’ Red Cup Day. Since 2018, the coffee chain has offered free and reusable cups to customers purchasing holiday drinks on a designated day each year. Starbucks Workers United stated that the strike will affect 45 cities across the United States, including New York, Dallas, Seattle, Ohio, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia. It is an open-ended strike, with no set date for it to end.
