It’s the biggest single sales day of the year for Starbucks – Red Cup Day – a day when the color red, at least this time, was subject to interpretation.
“They've responded by cutting workers' hours," said Hadley Parum, referring to Starbucks. "They've responded by not offering them raises that they are offering to other stores in 2024."
Parum is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. They were tabling in front of the Starbucks SUNY New Paltz campus location to use the coffee giant’s massive marketing day as an occasion to stir up some support.
What You Need To Know
- Starbucks workers and labor activists across the nation staged walkouts at more than 200 stores nationwide on the companies' heavily-marketed Red Cup Day
- They sought to raise awareness for Starbucks' union-busting tactics, which have been cited by the National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB
- The NLRB has certified more than 360 Starbucks across the nation as being union represented so far
“Engaging folks on our campus who tend to support the right of workers to unionize, and tend to support workers having better working conditions," Parum said.
Parum and colleagues were there in support of Starbucks Workers United. The union and its partners are setting up shop at more than 200 Starbucks across the nation. Some walked off the job in the process, while others passed out flyers and urged supporters to call Starbucks’ regional managers.
“To make complaints to them on this busy day, to say that we don't like that they are hanging their workers out to dry," Parum said. "We don't like that they aren't supporting the staffing of these workers and giving them dignity in their workplace.”
Starbucks has been cited by the National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB, of engaging in so-called “union busting,” in which the company actively uses tactics to keep workers from organizing. According to a spokesperson for the NLRB, it cited Starbucks for 111 complaints related 380 unfair labor practice charges, including at stores in Ithaca, Buffalo and Albany.
In a statement, a spokesperson from Starbucks said, “We remain committed to working with all partners…and we hope that Workers United’s priorities will shift to include the shared success of our partners and working to negotiate contracts for those they represent.”
Starbucks also called on Workers United to bargain for contracts at stores they represent. The company claims the union hasn’t met with them in more than five months.
Parum said the cause is an important one for them. They want to show solidarity with the working class.
“Unions are strong and they raise the working conditions in their own workplace, and that leads to better working conditions for everyone across sectors and across industries," Parum said.
