The University of California, Riverside’s (UCR) chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) is organizing a campaign to kick Starbucks off UCR as part of the YDSA’s nationwide campaign in solidarity with Starbucks Workers United (SBWU).
With over 12,000 union partners, the SBWU’s list of grievances includes a standardized pay raise, stronger worker protections, and the reversal of union-busting procedures. According to a statement published on the union’s website, negotiations have resulted in pushback from Starbucks, stating, “We’ve been clear and consistent in our demand for Starbucks to settle a fair contract and stop their record-breaking union-busting activity … We believe a fair contract is not only possible, but within reach as long as executives are committed to good-faith bargaining and supporting the baristas who are key to Starbucks’ success.”
According to SBWU, judges have found that Starbucks committed more than 400 labor law violations, such as firing union organizers, threatening and interrogating workers regarding strikes, denying benefits, and closing stores that have union activity. With labor disputes between SBWU and Starbucks remaining active, the UCR chapter decided to launch their “Kick Starbucks Off UCR” campaign.
YDSA Co-Chair Liam Cruz addressed the YDSA’s decision to begin campaigning, stating, “The union is not calling for Starbucks to end as a corporation. They’re just asking that their work be valued, and that they get fair pay and fair hours so they don’t have to work a second job. At the end of the day, even if people do love Starbucks, they should also love the workers who are making the Starbucks drink possible.”
The Starbucks on campus is located near student dorms at The Market at Glen Mor. While the Starbucks corporation licenses them, its workers are contracted by UCR Dining Services. YDSA elaborated, “We also do want to clarify that this is in response to the demand that the Starbucks workers United Union called out for people to boycott Starbucks until they have a fair contract..”
While canvassing on campus to discuss their petition and the ongoing labor disputes, YDSA reported that students had varying reactions, with some supporting their efforts for political and personal reasons while others objected to their campaign. Cruz described this, stating, “There’s some people who are already against Starbucks … There’s definitely people that, like, necessarily disagree with it. They just like Starbucks, and there is nothing you can say [that] will take [Starbucks] away from them.”
YDSA plans to hold an on-campus rally and march on Nov. 12 starting at the Bell Tower and ending at the Glasgow Dining Hall. There, speakers will address UCR Dining Services, with Cruz adding, “We just don’t believe our university should be allowing this to occur when Starbucks has such a well-known history of being horrible to its workers, and what does that say about the university if they know this and still ignore it.”
