Students at multiple universities in the U.S. are calling for Starbucks to be removed from their campuses until the coffee chain changes its labor practices. Actions were planned at 25 campuses across the country to protest Starbucks’ failure to negotiate contracts with thousands of unionized baristas.
At Georgetown University, freshman Valli Pendyala stated, “If Starbucks was a student, they would have been expelled by now because of the number of rules they’ve broken.” Students are demanding that Georgetown let its contract with Starbucks expire and hold the company accountable for its treatment of workers.
Starbucks, however, denied stalling bargaining efforts, emphasizing its commitment to offering competitive pay and industry-leading benefits. The company downplayed the impact of the student’s efforts, stating that activities had not materialized at all the campuses touted by the union and that operations at campus stores were unaffected.
Students Protesters (Credits: Inside Higher Ed)
At New York University, students delivered a petition calling on the university to stop selling Starbucks coffee until the company changed its tactics.
NYU stated that all workers at Starbucks affiliated with the university are unionized employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement with their food services contractor, Chartwells.
Georgetown University clarified that it does not have a contract with Starbucks. Aramark, the university’s primary food service provider, manages most of the retail and residential dining operations on campus, including the Starbucks location. Aramark’s hourly workers at Georgetown’s campuses are represented by the UNITE HERE union.
Both universities said they were reviewing the students’ concerns and taking the issue seriously, indicating a willingness to engage with the demands of the student-led protests.
