Starbucks baristas on an open-ended strike in Brooklyn got the kind of star power most labor actions can only dream of.
Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani showed up to walk the picket line alongside them on Monday, lending momentum to a movement energized by a historic legal win.
New York City announced on Monday a $38.9 million settlement with Starbucks for what officials described as “systematic violations” of the city’s Fair Workweek Law.
A multi-year investigation by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection found the coffee giant committed more than 500,000 violations across 300 stores, including arbitrarily slashing hours, unpredictable schedules, and keeping baristas involuntarily part-time.
More than 15,000 baristas in the city are now set to receive restitution checks as soon as this winter.
Against that backdrop, Sanders and Mamdani joined striking workers outside a Brooklyn Starbucks store, posing for photos and blasting the company’s labor practices.
Starbucks could not be reached for immediate comment.
Scroll to see photos from the Brooklyn picket line.
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani joined the picket line on Monday
The strike — which began on Red Cup Day, historically one of Starbucks’ busiest sales days where customers can get a free reusable cup with their order — has already spread to dozens of stores nationwide.
The union has warned that the work stoppage could expand to more than 500 stores if negotiations continue to stall.
Sen. Bernie Sanders marches with Starbucks strikers
Sanders, a longtime champion of labor rights, voiced support for workers demanding stable schedules and a living wage.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke to the press
Mamdani, who urged New Yorkers to boycott Starbucks during the strike last month, used the moment to reaffirm his intentions for the mayoralty.
In one photograph he shared on social media, he appeared to be holding a sign that read: “No contract, no Starbucks.”
‘Glad to be on the right side of the picket line with them’
Mamdani has highlighted the pay gap driving worker frustration.
In a post on X on Monday, he contrasted the company’s record executive compensation with what striking baristas say are basic demands for stability and respect.
“Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol made $95 million last year. His workers are striking for the bare minimum. Glad to be on the right side of the picket line with them,” Mamdani wrote.
“We are continuing to fight back against Starbucks’ greed”
In a press release announcing the city’s settlement, a Workers United union boss called it a “major victory.”
“It shows the power baristas have when we stand together and demand change,” Kai Fritz — a New York City Starbucks worker — said, which was also included in the press release. “We are continuing to fight back against Starbucks’ greed and will not stop until we have a fair contract that ensures the support and protections we need to thrive.”
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