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Starbucks claps back when its own AOC-backed union declares ‘solidarity with Palestine’

October 13, 2023 | | Print Article

Following the savage slaughter of more than 1,200 Israelis at the hands of Hamas terrorists, Starbucks Workers United (SWU), which represents nearly 9,000 Starbucks baristas, declared its “solidarity with Palestine” in a now-deleted X post.

Thunderous calls for a Starbucks boycott soon followed.

SWU represents 340 U.S. Starbucks locations and is based in Buffalo, N.Y., according to the New York Post. The union has long been championed by Democratic Socialist New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

“Hell yeah! Nothing like the smell of union coffee in the morning,” she tweeted in Dec. 2021. “Congrats to @SBWorkersUnited in Buffalo for making the first unionized Starbucks in the US!”

“ANOTHER huge victory today – Starbucks workers at the massive NYC Roastery /@SBWorkersUnited just won a momentous union election,” she announced in April 2022. “There are only 6 Starbucks roasteries in the world. This is the first one unionizing.”

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Clearly, AOC and SWU share the same ideology.

As Jewish babies were being massacred, the Congresswoman was concerned about the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians.

“This is disgusting,” US Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said of SWU’s post. “Every American should condemn the atrocities that Iran-backed Hamas terrorists committed in Israel.”

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“Boycott Starbucks until its leadership strongly denounces and takes action against this horrific support of terrorism,” he urged American consumers.

Starbucks quickly attempted to distance itself from SWU, “an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).”

In a statement published on Wednesday, Starbucks expressed its “deepest sympathy for those who have been killed, wounded, displaced and impacted following the heinous and unacceptable acts of terror, escalating violence and hate against the innocent in Israel and Gaza this week.”

“Furthermore, we are deeply troubled by the spread of misinformation, inaccurate headlines and third-party social media posts stemming from statements made by Workers United,” the company continued. “To be clear: We unequivocally condemn these acts of terrorism, hate and violence, and disagree with the statements and views expressed by Workers United and its members. Workers United’s words and actions belong to them, and them alone.”

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“Workers United, its local affiliates, union organizers and those who identify as members of ‘Starbucks Workers United’ do not speak for Starbucks Coffee Company and do not represent the company’s views, positions or beliefs,” Starbucks stressed. “There is no legal entity known as ‘Starbucks Workers United.’ Rather, it is a subset of partners that are represented by Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) with more than two million members working across a range of industries in the U.S. and Canada.”

“I’m glad that following my calls, Starbucks has made clear that it does not support the statement from Workers United supporting Iran-backed Hamas terrorists,” Scott posted on Thursday. “We must all stand with Israel and against this horrific terror.”

SEIU president Mary Kay Henry issued a blanket condemnation of the violence.

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“The violence in Israel and Palestine is unconscionable,” she posted on X. “@SEIU stands with all who are suffering, while strongly condemning anti-Semitism, Islamophobia & hate in all forms. I pray for a swift resolution and a future where all in the region can be happy, safe & live with dignity.”

Melissa Fine
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