New York City’s radical socialist Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has called on his supporters to boycott the popular coffee shop chain Starbucks in support of the workers’ union.
Starbucks Workers United, the union representing the coffee shop’s employees, has declared an open-ended strike, dubbed the “Red Cup Rebellion.”
The union alleges that Starbucks is engaged in unfair labor practices and is refusing to negotiate with the union in good faith.
Mamdani took to X, saying:
“Starbucks workers across the country are on an Unfair Labor Practices strike, fighting for a fair contract.
“While workers are on strike, I won’t be buying any Starbucks, and I’m asking you to join us.
“Together, we can send a powerful message: No contract, no coffee.”
Starbucks workers across the country are on an Unfair Labor Practices strike, fighting for a fair contract.
While workers are on strike, I won’t be buying any Starbucks, and I’m asking you to join us.
Together, we can send a powerful message: No contract, no coffee. https://t.co/Cw0WMf2hVW
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) November 14, 2025
It’s hard to imagine leftist consumers being able to skip buying their daily overpriced frappuccino.
However, if anyone can mobilize leftists, it’s the self-described socialist set to be New York City’s next mayor.
In a post on social media, the union wrote:
“As of today, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE and we’re prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
“Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON’T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX.”
This boycott coincided with Starbucks’s Red Cup Day, an important day for Starbucks loyalists who can pick up a holiday-themed red cup that is reusable.
It’s a powerful move to flip what is typically a great marketing scheme by Starbucks on its head and use it as a rallying point for the boycott as the union works to get a better deal from the company.
However, the effectiveness of this boycott is certainly in question.
According to Starbucks representatives, this year’s Red Cup Day was a massive success despite the union’s boycott.
Jaci Anderson, Starbucks Director of Global Communications, spoke to Fox News and explained:
“In terms of our annual Reusable Red Cup Day – we actually had a great day – 99% of our coffeehouses remained open and welcoming customers and we exceeded our sales expectations across company-operated coffeehouses in North America, making it the best Red Cup Day ever.”
She continued by saying:
“We’re disappointed that Workers United, who represents less than 4% of our partners, has called for a strike instead of returning to the bargaining table.
“Less than 1% of our coffeehouses are experiencing any level of disruption and the vast majority of our 240,000 partners came to work ready to serve customers and celebrate Reusable Red Cup Day. ”
So far, it would appear that even Mamdani can’t seem to get the average leftist to stand with workers’ unions against their favorite corporation that sells overpriced coffee.
Turns out leftist voters care more about their overpriced coffee, which is a hallmark of American consumerism, than standing with workers.
It’s entirely possible that with Mamdani’s campaign over, many of his supporters no longer care about ongoing political issues.
As for Starbucks, they insist that they are ready to hold talks with the union, even though Starbucks Workers United doesn’t have enough members to disrupt Starbucks’ operations on a national level.
For conservatives, this entire situation is an entertaining episode of Left-on-Left violence, considering Starbucks’s massive contributions to the Democratic Party.
READ MORE – Starbucks Ordered to Pay $25M to Manager Fired for Being White
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