Tell Starbucks to clean up its act

Nov 17 Update – Workers at more than 100 U.S. Starbucks stores are on strike today! Come join us on the picket line to demand Starbucks keep its promises to people and planet!

Today’s action is timed to coincide with Starbucks’ annual Red Cup Day, when the company gives free reusable cups to customers who order a holiday drink. Our friends at Starbucks Workers United say it’s often one of the busiest days of the year, and today will be their largest labor action since the first store was unionized just about a year ago.

Stand up with workers today and demand Starbucks keep its promises to people and planet! Here’s how:

• Join a strike or picket with Starbucks workers today and call on the company to keep its commitments to workers and climate!
  • You can also print out this custom coffee collar and make your own red cup, check out the video below for instructions!
• Share the campaign on social media using this toolkit or follow the hashtag #RedCupRebellion
• Sign and share our petition calling on Starbucks to stop greenwashing, and union busting, and start reducing climate emissions now.

In 2019, Starbucks promised to cut global warming pollution from all its operations by 50% by 2030. Long term, Starbucks says it wants to become “resource-positive, storing more carbon than we emit, replenishing more freshwater than we use, and eliminating waste.”

They’re just one of many companies to make these sort of “net zero” pledges in the last few years. But Starbucks is especially important because they’re a huge global brand, and market themselves as a more sustainable and climate conscious coffee brand.

But Starbucks’ big climate promise is a lie: since promising to cut emissions, Starbucks has actually emitted MORE global warming pollution, year after year, every year, even when the pandemic forced them to close stores and reduce operations.

Sign now to demand Starbucks stop greenwashing, and start reducing climate emissions now.

We’re especially excited to join Labor Network for Sustainability and other union allies on this campaign. That’s because, at the same time Starbucks has been breaking their promise on climate change, they’ve spent a fortune on a union busting campaign. Starbucks has already fired more than 125 union leaders across the country. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued 31 official Complaints that include more than 800 allegations of employer misconduct. Just like on climate Starbucks says that it “respects [its] partners’ right to organize,” and they even require suppliers to allow union organizing. But Starbucks just keeps saying one thing, and doing another. 

Despite the company’s union-busting, Starbucks workers continue to organize and win. There are now more than 260 unionized Starbucks stores, with more than 6,300 union workers, in 34 states and D.C. And to put our solidarity into action, we’ll be participating in the actions with Starbucks Workers United over the coming weeks that demand Starbucks live up to its promises — to people and the planet.

When we all win, we’ll have a great example of how a global corporation can clean up its carbon footprint, and create good, union jobs at the same time. Because when climate and labor groups work together, don’t just make change, we create the sustainable economy we all deserve.

But first, we need you to sign the petition and get involved! Sign the petition: Demand Starbucks step it up NOW and take action to curb their dangerous greenhouse gas emissions. We’ll follow up next week with more opportunities to take action and deliver our demands to the corporation in solidarity with union workers.