Starbucks has slapped Starbucks Workers United with a lawsuit, alleging the AOC-backed union caused the coffee giant “irreparable harm” when it posted its support of Palestine in the wake of the inhumane attack on Israel by the terrorist group, Hamas.
As BizPac Review reported, Starbucks Workers United (SWU), which represents nearly 9,000 Starbucks baristas, was quick to declare its “Solidarity with Palestine!” in a now-deleted X post.
Starbucks claps back when its own AOC-backed union declares ‘solidarity with Palestine’ https://t.co/REmkBZGsmf via @BIZPACReview
— BPR based (@DumpstrFireNews) October 13, 2023
The union quote-tweeted a post that showed a “bulldozer operated by Gaza Resistance tearing down the Israeli occupation fence erected on the border.”
“Literally breaking apart the Israeli-created mass prison on the Strip,” the post stated.
The backlash was swift, with many calling for a Bud Light-level boycott of Starbucks.
In a statement, Starbucks addressed the offensive post.
The company 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,” it continued, “we are deeply troubled by the spread of misinformation, inaccurate headlines and third-party social media posts stemming from statements made by Workers United.”
“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,” Starbucks stated. “Workers United’s words and actions belong to them, and them alone.”
“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,” the company 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.”
In a Tuesday “partner message,” Starbucks executive VP and chief partner officer, Sara Kelly, again condemned the Workers United post:
Shortly after October 7, Workers United posted a statement with an image of a bulldozer tearing down a part of the Israel and Gaza border, reflecting their support for violence perpetrated by Hamas. Unfortunately, as violence against the innocent in the region continues to escalate, some people are mistakenly tying these remarks to us, because Workers United and its affiliates and members continue to use our name, logo and intellectual property. Starbucks unequivocally condemns acts of terrorism, hate and violence, and we strongly disagree with the views expressed by Workers United, including its local affiliates, union organizers and those who identify as members of “Starbucks Workers United” – none of these groups speak for Starbucks Coffee Company and do not represent our company’s views, positions, or beliefs. Their words and actions belong to them, and them alone.
The ongoing confusion from this misinformation has sadly led directly to incidents where angry, hurt customers are confronting partners in our stores and sending graphic and violent messages to partners in our Customer Contact Center (CCC). Our retail leaders and support teams are prioritizing partner care and safety, working to ensure every store and the CCC feels supported in de-escalating these situations.
It is in the best interest and safety of our partners and customers for Workers United to disengage from the dialogue and from misrepresenting Starbucks. Workers United’s actions risk putting partners from all stores, including both non-union and unionized stores, in harm’s way. On Friday, we contacted Workers United demanding they 1) immediately stop using our company name, logo and intellectual property, and 2) issue an immediate correction. This morning, unfortunately, they rejected that request. As a result, Starbucks will file litigation against the union in federal court, and we intend to pursue all legal options in defense of our partners and our company.
In a cease-and-desist letter to Workers United on Friday, Starbucks said the union’s use of Starbucks’ name and brand “in connection with statements advocating for violence in the Middle East has caused, and is continuing to cause, Starbucks irreparable harm. Those communications have amplified an already volatile situation,” according to Fox Business.
“By fomenting this anger,” the letter continued, “your organization has recklessly endangered the safety and well-being of hundreds of thousands of baristas around the world, including its own members and those who fled conflicts or have friends and family living in conflict.”
In response, the union wrote on October 17 that Starbucks’ letter “asserts that Workers United has made ‘statements advocating for violence in the Middle East,’ but does not identify such statement.”
“Starbucks is seeking to exploit the ongoing tragedy in the Middle East to bolster the company’s anti-union campaign. Your letter asserts frivolous legal claims, while falsely implying the union supports terrorism,” wrote the union’s president, Lynne Fox. “Although your letter does not identify the ‘statements’ at issue, I assume you are primarily referring to a tweet that was posted on the Starbucks Workers United Twitter account for approximately 30 to 40 minutes before it was deleted on October 9, 2023. You ignore my tweet, which supported the condemnation of violence and antisemitism posted by SEIU President Mary Kay Henry on October 10, 2023.”
According to the union, “no one would mistake” the post on social media from the Starbucks Workers United account for a post made by Starbucks Corporation. The union has a legitimate interest in using the company’s name, it argued, precisely because no such confusion exists.
Workers United filed a lawsuit against Starbucks, Fox Business reports, seeking “a declaratory judgment regarding the use of the name ‘Starbucks’ and the company logo.”
Also included in the suit is a defamation claim against Starbucks for its “public statements asserting that Workers United supports ‘terrorism, hate and violence.'”
“The company’s statements are a transparent effort to bolster its illegal anti-union campaign by falsely attacking the union’s reputation with workers and the public,” the lawsuit alleges.
According to the filing, the post in question was “an unauthorized tweet that was deleted after 30 to 40 minutes, which did not indicate that the Union supports terrorism.”
“No reasonable observer could view that tweet, in context, as expressing the ‘view’ or ‘position’ that Workers United supports terrorism,” it argues.
On Wednesday, Starbucks announced its own lawsuit against Workers United.
“Today, Starbucks filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in Davenport, Iowa,” Starbucks wrote.
“As the violence against the innocent in the region continues, some people are mistakenly tying these remarks to us, because Workers United and its affiliates and members continue to use our name, logo and intellectual property,” it explained. “The actions taken by the union have nothing to do with its representation of the minority of partners who voted for them to bargain on their behalf. In fact, their continued statements have led to Starbucks partners, including some they represent, being threatened and subjected to graphic messages.”
“Such reckless and reprehensible behavior must be addressed through the lens of our partners’ safety and public clarity of Starbucks official position, which condemns the violence in the region,” Starbucks stated. “This position is apart from our continued commitment to good faith bargaining that we have insisted through hundreds of requests and unfair labor practice filings.”
“Workers United President Lynne Fox rejected our request to take steps to ensure clarity and protect our partners,” it said. “So, today’s action is a necessary step in defense of our partners and our company.”
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Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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