Lead
On November 14, 2025, New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani publicly urged people to avoid Starbucks while baristas staged an open-ended strike over alleged Unfair Labor Practices. The call came as workers walked out during the chain’s Red Cup Day, an annual promotion that typically drives high holiday traffic. Starbucks said the company was still on track to exceed sales expectations that day at company-operated North American locations. Mamdani’s stance is an early sign of how he might use his platform on labor issues after taking office.
Key Takeaways
- Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani publicly asked New Yorkers not to buy Starbucks on November 14, 2025, while baristas conduct an open-ended Unfair Labor Practices strike.
- The walkout coincided with Red Cup Day, a high-traffic promotion that has historically driven record holiday sales for Starbucks.
- Starbucks reported it was still on track to exceed sales expectations across company-operated coffeehouses in North America for the day, according to a company spokesperson.
- The strike is the fourth nationwide action the union has mounted since 2023 and the third strike taking place after Brian Niccol became CEO in October 2024.
- Starbucks announced a restructuring earlier in 2025 that led to the closure of more than 600 U.S. stores, a factor that has contributed to tensions at the bargaining table.
- Mamdani—an active ally of organized labor as a Democratic socialist state assemblyman—used social media to pledge a personal boycott and ask others to follow his lead.
Background
Since 2023, a wave of unionization efforts and labor actions has transformed Starbucks from a symbol of corporate retail to a focal point for organized labor in the United States. Employees and union organizers have repeatedly clashed with company management over contract talks, bargaining procedures, and what workers describe as unfair labor practices. The bargaining breakdown that produced the November 14 strike reflects months of stalled negotiations between Starbucks and union representatives.
Starbucks’ broader business decisions have also shaped the dispute. The company announced a restructuring earlier in 2025 resulting in the closure of more than 600 domestic outlets, a move executives said was intended to improve efficiency but that critics argue has worsened job security and store workloads. Those closures, along with leadership changes—Brian Niccol became CEO in October 2024—have framed the current round of labor actions. Meanwhile, national attention on the brand has amplified local disputes into high-profile political questions.
Main Event
On the afternoon of November 14, workers at multiple Starbucks locations initiated an open-ended strike, declaring their action an Unfair Labor Practices strike tied to stalled contract negotiations. The timing overlapped with the company’s Red Cup Day, when Starbucks traditionally offers free reusable holiday cups to customers and typically sees a surge in sales. Workers and organizers said they chose the day to maximize visibility and bargaining leverage.
Mayor-elect Mamdani posted on X that he would join the boycott until a fair contract was reached, writing that while workers are on strike he would not buy Starbucks and urging others to do the same. His statement highlighted his long-standing alignment with labor causes and signaled an intent to champion worker demands from the public stage. The mayor-elect framed the boycott as a solidarity action rather than a punitive measure.
A Starbucks spokesperson told reporters the company expected to exceed sales targets across company-operated locations in North America for Red Cup Day despite the walkouts. Company officials have pointed to continued customer demand and operational adjustments at unaffected stores as mitigating factors. Union organizers, by contrast, emphasized picket lines and localized disruptions at targeted stores as evidence of worker coordination and resolve.
Analysis & Implications
Mamdani’s public call for a boycott is significant politically: it signals that labor solidarity may be a visible component of his mayoralty and that he is willing to use his platform to pressure private-sector employers. As mayor of a global city, Mamdani will have amplified influence when he speaks on workplace disputes, and his interventions could shape public opinion and bargaining dynamics. For municipal governance, this raises questions about how the mayor will balance advocacy for labor with responsibilities to maintain a hospitable business environment.
For Starbucks, the immediate sales impact of a single promotional day is only part of the calculus. The company still reported strong performance on November 14, but repeated walkouts and ongoing national organizing could dent consumer confidence and employee morale over time. The more consequential risk for Starbucks is reputational and operational: sustained labor unrest can raise costs, disrupt staffing, and complicate holiday-season logistics.
The broader labor landscape is also affected. A mayoral endorsement of a boycott can embolden unions beyond the coffee sector, encouraging similar tactics in other disputes. Conversely, if the boycott fails to move negotiations, it could illustrate limits to public-pressure strategies. The strike and political backing may influence future bargaining law debates and could affect how corporations approach store-level restructuring and labor relations.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Strikes since 2023 | Four nationwide union-organized strikes, including the Nov 14 action |
| CEO tenure | Brian Niccol became CEO in October 2024; three strikes occurred under his leadership |
| Store closures (U.S.) | More than 600 locations closed as part of a 2025 restructuring |
The table above summarizes key numerical milestones relevant to the current dispute. Those figures—strike counts, leadership timing, and store closures—provide a factual baseline for assessing how labor actions and corporate changes intersect. Historically, the intensity and frequency of labor actions at Starbucks have increased since 2023, coinciding with both managerial turnover and strategic restructuring.
Reactions & Quotes
Below are representative statements and the contexts in which they were made.
“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.”
Zohran Mamdani (mayor-elect)
Mamdani’s message, posted on social media, framed his boycott as solidarity with striking workers and as a public nudge to New Yorkers. His stance reflects a pattern from his time as a state assemblyman supporting labor initiatives and signals that he may deploy public endorsements as a tool once in office.
“Despite the strike, the company was still on track to exceed sales expectations for the day across company-operated coffeehouses in North America.”
Starbucks spokesperson (company comment)
Starbucks’ spokesperson emphasized corporate sales metrics to downplay the immediate financial impact of the action, suggesting that customer demand and operational adjustments at unaffected locations mitigated the strike’s effect. That framing aims to reassure investors and customers about the brand’s resilience during a high-profile promotional day.
Unconfirmed
- Whether the November 14 boycott will produce lasting declines in Starbucks’ holiday revenue beyond isolated store disruptions is not yet confirmed.
- It remains unconfirmed if Mamdani will make similar public interventions routinely as mayor or if this was a one-time statement tied to the timing of the strike.
Bottom Line
Zohran Mamdani’s public call for a Starbucks boycott during the November 14, 2025 Unfair Labor Practices strike crystallizes the intersection of local politics and national labor organizing. While the company reported resilient sales for Red Cup Day, the mayor-elect’s intervention elevates the dispute into the political arena and may influence how both parties approach negotiations.
For observers and stakeholders, the key questions are whether political pressure will hasten a negotiated contract and whether repeated labor actions will produce wider operational or reputational costs for Starbucks. In the near term, watch for follow-up bargaining sessions, any escalation or expansion of strikes, and how Mamdani balances advocacy with governing duties once inaugurated.