Students, faculty, and staff at 25 university campuses in the U.S. are urging their institutions to end their contracts with Starbucks in protest of the company's handling of union organizing efforts.
The "Starbucks Gets an F" Protests
The "Starbucks gets an F" protests will occur Thursday at various campuses, including the University of Chicago, the University of South Florida, UW-Madison, New York University, Georgetown, and Rutgers.
Many college campuses have Starbucks stores through licensing deals or contracts with third-party vendors.
Student organizers are circulating petitions urging universities to end contracts with Starbucks on campus, as they aim to raise public awareness, hold the company accountable, and support workers' unionizing endeavors at Starbucks.
Taking a Stand in Starbucks' Injustices
David Ramirez, a student organizer at UCLA, expressed concern that tuition dollars should not support companies committing injustices where students submitted a petition in January urging the university to terminate its contract with Starbucks due to the company's aggressive campaign against unionization efforts in its stores.
Many universities nationwide are taking a stand against Starbucks as people increasingly recognize that the company's proclaimed progressiveness does not match reality. Ramirez noted that it is their responsibility to take a stand and voice out how these companies treat their workers.
The Largest Single-Day Union Filing
Since December 2021, almost 400 Starbucks stores across the U.S. have successfully voted to join Starbucks Workers United when unionization began in Buffalo, New York. On Tuesday, 21 Starbucks stores filed for union recognition, marking the largest single-day filing in the union campaign.
Students at Cornell University effectively persuaded the university not to renew its contract with Starbucks in response to local union campaigns, where workers encountered significant resistance, leading to store closures. Following this achievement, similar campaigns have emerged at numerous other college campuses across the U.S.
Holding Starbucks Accountable
Haya Odeh was a barista at Starbucks in North Carolina and played a key role in union organizing until her transfer request was denied when she began attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Now, she's leading student organizing efforts on campus as part of a campaign against the company.
Odeh emphasized the importance of holding Starbucks accountable for its treatment of workers, stating that it will not ignore the company's injustices, being the next generation of workers and consumers. Odeh highlighted concerns beyond union busting, aiming to send a strong message to students against Starbucks' labor practices and worker treatment.
Since the beginning of the Starbucks Workers United campaign, workers have lodged hundreds of complaints of unfair labor practices against Starbucks with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and have not admitted any wrongdoing over union campaigns.
Starbucks Denying Union-Busting Allegations
Starbucks attorneys and attorneys from Trader Joe's, Amazon, and SpaceX argued that the NLRB's initiation of proceedings over labor law violations by these companies is unconstitutional. Starbucks praised the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their appeal case in January involving the termination of seven Starbucks workers at a unionized store in Memphis.
A Starbucks spokesperson rejected all union-busting accusations in response to the actions.
Starbucks stated that while they value their direct partnership with employees, they also respect their right to organize and bargain collectively, reiterating their commitment to achieving ratified contracts for union-represented stores in the U.S. by 2024.
