You may have noticed on your social media page a trend of more and more people calling for a boycott of Starbucks, leaving many confused. The protests are stemming from a series of issues, so it may be difficult to keep track. Here is a look at the drama that has been following the national coffee chain and an explanation of why so many people are not buying from the brand.
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Boycotts over tensions in the Middle East
Starbucks and the union organizing its workers are now suing each other in federal court over a social media post that was sent out by the workers’ union supporting Palestinians in light of the Israel-Hamas war.
The company sued Starbucks Workers United in federal court in October alleging trademark infringement after the union sent out a social media post saying “Solidarity with Palestine!” a few weeks after the Hamas attack against Israel, which killed 1,200 people and made hostages of 240 people.
Starbucks Workers United countersued Starbucks, asking a federal court in Pennsylvania to rule that it can continue using its name and similar logo and saying “Starbucks defamed the union by implying that it supports terrorism and violence.”
Starbucks distanced itself from the workers’ union’s pro-Palestinian stance, putting out an official statement that read: “We unequivocally condemn these acts of terrorism, hate and violence, and disagree with the statements and views expressed by Workers United and its members.” Starbucks also said in the statement that the union social media post led to angry and hurt customers confronting employees in their stores and sending graphic and violent messages to company customer service staff.
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The official statement made by the coffee chain may have sparked even more public outrage.
The TikTok data center shows that #boycottstarbucks has been used in about 5,000 posts generating over 42 million views in the past 30 days. Overall there are about 17,000 posts with this hashtag that have received over 175,000 views.
Although Starbucks says it has lost many customers due to the union’s tweet that showed solidarity with Palestinians, many of those boycotting Starbucks are Palestinian supporters. Popular posts on TikTok, some having over 100,000 likes, show users expressing their dissatisfaction with the company using #boycottstarbucks along with #freePalestine.
Other videos show pro-Palestinian organizers in front of a Starbucks shop in New York City chanting that it supports genocide.
After the Hamas attacks, Israel responded with a barrage of bombings in Gaza. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 17,487 Palestinians have been killed since the Oct. 7 attacks. Protesters across the country have been calling for a cease-fire.
Starbucks losing money
Though it may not be related to the boycotts, it is important to note that Starbucks’ market value has dropped by nearly $11 billion during the past month, a 9.4% decline. The coffee chain’s stock dropped 1.6% on Dec. 7 , declining for a seventh consecutive market session.
Union protests
The drama surrounding Starbucks does not stop at consumer boycotts. The lawsuit barrage between the company and its workers is just one example of how the two sides have been clashing for the past few years.
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Starbucks Workers United, which represents thousands of baristas at 340 locations nationwide, is still trying to get its first union contract.
This saga between the corporation and its workers goes back to 2021, when a Starbucks shop in Buffalo, N.Y., became the first in the country to unionize. Since then, hundreds of stores across the country have followed.
In New Jersey, five Starbucks locations have agreed to unionize, the latest being a store in Roxbury Township in August of this year. The others are in Hopewell, Hamilton, Summit and Montclair.
Starbucks workers want to negotiate over wage increases, better working conditions, scheduling and other issues.
The ongoing struggle has led to worker protests, the most recent on Starbucks’ “Red Cup Day” on Nov. 16. On this promotional day, Starbucks gives reusable cups to customers who order holiday drinks. During one of the busiest days of the year for the chain, workers across 360 stores staged a walkout. Some stores were shut down for nearly the entire day while other stores closed for only a few hours.
The union has said Starbucks is doing everything it can to stop this labor movement, from fining workers to closing stores.
The tension brewing between the company and the union can hurt Starbucks’ reputation. With the consumer boycotts continuing, the company seeks to find new ways to help sales increase. It is offering rewards members 50% off a drink Thursday afternoons this month for “Festive Thurs-Yays.” Starbucks hope the boycotts and protests come to an end soon so their revenue will get back to trending upward.
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHY
