Mamdani, Sanders Back Striking Starbucks Workers

Manhattan (GAB) - New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont joined dozens of striking Starbucks union workers on the picket line in Gowanus on Dec. 1, urging the company to resume negotiations and agree to a fair contract.

The workers have been on an open-ended unfair labor practice strike since Nov. 13—now the longest ULP strike in the company’s history. The action, known as the “Red Cup Rebellion,” grew even larger on Black Friday, Nov. 28, when baristas from 26 stores across nearly 20 cities walked out, adding to the roughly 2,000 Starbucks employees already striking at 95 stores in 65 cities.

Starbucks Workers United, which represents about 11,000 members, is demanding progress toward a first contract that addresses staffing shortages, boosts take-home pay, and resolves hundreds of unresolved unfair labor practice charges tied to alleged union-busting. The union has filed more than 1,000 ULP charges—over 125 of them in 2025 alone. More than 700 cases are still pending, including national complaints accusing Starbucks of bad-faith bargaining and retaliatory firings.

Mamdani told workers he intends to continue attending picket lines after he takes office on Jan. 1, 2026.

“We want to build an administration that stands with workers every step of the way,” he said, adding that workers’ calls for dignity often get drowned out. He pledged to use the mayor’s office to spotlight labor violations, noting the recent Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) investigation that found Starbucks violated the city’s Fair Workweek Law.

Earlier that day, outgoing Mayor Eric Adams and the DCWP announced a $38.9 million settlement with Starbucks for failing to provide predictable schedules at more than 300 locations since 2021. The payout will go to more than 15,000 hourly employees. Mamdani welcomed the settlement, calling it “the largest ever won in the city,” and promised continued financial and political support to hold corporations accountable.

When pressed about whether his plans to make the city more affordable conflicted with a proposed 16% salary increase for top city officials, including a raise that would bring the mayor’s salary from $258,000 to $300,000, Mamdani offered a more cautious response. The legislation, if passed, would require his signature.

Sanders—who recently joined fellow lawmakers in writing to Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol to demand fair bargaining, told the crowd he shared Mamdani’s commitment to creating an economy that serves working people instead of the ultra-wealthy.

“We’re living in an economy where the people at the top have never had it so good,” Sanders said. “One man holds more wealth than over half of American households combined. Meanwhile, tens of millions of people in Vermont, New York City, and across the country live paycheck to paycheck trying to cover rent, health care, and groceries.”

Sanders, who, along with Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other progressives, has formed an alliance known as the “Fight Club” to challenge corporate influence and support left-leaning candidates, praised Mamdani’s grassroots campaign as a national model.

"At the bargaining table, what stands out to me is the resilience of Starbucks workers. I currently work alongside baristas who have spent years striking simply to be treated with basic respect and dignity. Even as Starbucks holds millions of dollars in college-campus contracts, the company still refuses to meet workers’ demands or show up in good faith. What we’re fighting for is simple: real labor rights and real justice for the people who keep this company running.”, said Sebastian Leon Martinez, Member of Mayor-Elect Mamdani’s Transition Team.

According to Sanders, Mamdani’s organizing has inspired candidates nationwide to challenge tax breaks for billionaires and fight for living wages, universal health care, and a more equitable economy.

“He won because he mobilized tens of thousands of volunteers who knocked on doors—and because he wasn’t afraid to take on the oligarchs,” Sanders said. “You’re now seeing more and more candidates around the country stepping up the way Zohran did.”