Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayor-elect calls for Starbucks boycott amid labour strikes (Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Business Insider)New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has urged consumers to boycott Starbucks as baristas across the United States launch an open-ended strike over stalled contract negotiations and alleged unfair labour practices.
Mamdani posted on X that he would be participating in the boycott, using the phrase, “No contract, no coffee” to signal support for Starbucks Workers United. The union organised its latest walkout to coincide with Starbucks’ high-traffic Red Cup Day – a promotional event workers say adds pressure to already understaffed stores.
Reports from U.S. media indicate that about 65 stores and roughly 1,000 workers took part in the initial phase of the strike, with organisers saying the number could grow as contract talks continue to stall. Workers are calling for stronger staffing guarantees, improved wages, and resolution of hundreds of unfair-labour-practice complaints filed with the National Labor Relations Board.
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Starbucks responded by downplaying the scale of the strike, noting that the vast majority of its U.S. stores remain open and that only a small portion of locations are unionised. The company also pointed to its existing pay structure and benefits as evidence of its investment in workers.
Mamdani, a long-time labour advocate, is set to take office next month. His call to boycott marks one of his first high-profile interventions in a national labour dispute, amplifying pressure on Starbucks at a moment when public sentiment is more sensitive to corporate-worker conflicts.
Labour analysts say timing the strike with Red Cup Day gives workers strategic leverage, though it also risks frustrating holiday-season customers. The union says the strike will remain open
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