Photo by Dominik Pearce on Unsplash
Friends,
Workers at Starbucks are raising their voices—and we must answer the call. These baristas and café associates, individuals who greet us every morning with a friendly smile and a warm drink, are demanding something fundamental: safe, dignified, and just working conditions. Supporting them is not just about cheerleading for labor—it’s about fighting for the heart of what fair work means in America.
First, better working conditions are essential because they reflect the respect owed to anyone who earns their living through honest labor. When a Starbucks worker asks for manageable schedules, sufficient break times, adequate staffing, or protection from harassment and illness, they’re asking for the basic dignity every worker deserves. When employees are overworked, under‐staffed, or fearful of speaking up, the cost isn’t only theirs—it falls on the quality of service, on communities, on our shared economy.
Second, workers at large national chains like Starbucks are front‐line examples of how corporate power can erode worker rights unless we stand up. If a major brand doesn’t ensure fair conditions, smaller employers may feel free not to either. The fight at Starbucks thus becomes a bellwether. Supporting these workers sends a message: we will hold major corporations accountable for the labor behind their billions in revenue.
Third, this struggle is deeply connected to broader democratic values: power, equity, collective voice. When workers organize, when they stand together, they reclaim their agency. This counters the growing imbalance between wealth and labor in our society. As we’ve said before when talking about mobilizing in civic space: power to the people means workers too. When baristas, shift leads, and café associates demand fairness, they raise the ceiling of possibility for us all.
Finally, there’s an urgent moral call. We live in a world where the gap between those who set policy and those who serve continues to widen. Choosing to support the Starbucks workers is choosing to stand with people—not profits. This is about solidarity, not charity; about rights, not favors.
Take action now. Together we will stand for workers’ dignity, for justice, for a future where Power to the People includes every worker, in every city, in every store.
Starbucks Workers United is escalating the pressure by going on strike and they have 3 critical ways you can support workers:
- Delete the Starbucks app from your phone
- Do not make purchases at Starbucks for the duration of the strike
- Click here to send a message to Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol and let him know you stand with the workers and won’t cross the picket line.
Support Starbucks Workers United
Thanks for taking action!
