PALESTINE BRINGS WORKERS TOGETHER: On December 20th, @sbworkersunited in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle went on strike. As Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) kept each other warm, passing out gloves and hand warmers on the picket line, they also proudly held up copies of the latest New York War Crimes.
While Starbucks backtracks on its commitment to reach a contract by the end of the year, Amazon has been illegally refusing to bargain; but in addition to exploiting its workers, the two companies share something else: complicity in Palestinian genocide. When SBWU put out a statement in support of Palestine in October 2023, Starbucks sued the union for “misuse” of the corporate logo after the union quote-tweeted an image of a bulldozer smashing through Gaza’s border fence.
Some of Starbucks’ biggest shareholders—the same shareholders who refuse to pay over 200,000 Starbucks workers a living wage—are also major investors in military companies with ties to Israel. Vanguard, which owns 7.7% of Starbucks, is also a major shareholder in Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer. Blackrock, which owns roughly 7.2% of Starbucks, is a major shareholder in Lockheed Martin, whose fighter jets are being used to ethnically cleanse Gaza.
Rather than waver while facing Zionist legal repression, SBWU maintained their commitment to Palestine while condemning Starbucks for making false statements against their union. What was meant to be an attack against SBWU’s organizing efforts became a further rallying cry for the necessity of a fair contract. While the bosses try to use Palestine to divide people, SBWU’s story shows the way Palestine brings workers together. As Starbucks workers strike in over ten cities across the US, including New York, Philadelphia, and Denver, we call on everyone to be in solidarity and join Starbucks Workers United on the picket line. Free Palestine.
