To: U.S. College & University Presidents

We write to express our deep concern over Starbucks’s labor abuses both here in the United States and around the world. This behavior flies in the face of the values of your institutions and your students. 

Starbucks baristas have been driving one of the biggest, boldest organizing movements in recent history to demand a voice on the job through a union. Over the last four years, these tenacious workers – many of whom are college students – have shown young people nationwide what it looks like to fight for a more just, fair future. 

College students are the next generation of our nation’s workforce. Across the nation, hundreds of students have been inspired by Starbucks baristas and empowered to fight alongside them for an economy where workers have a real voice on the job and a seat at the table with their employers. As one of Starbucks’ key customer demographics, college students have refused to stand silent and let their hard-earned dollars support the multi-billion-dollar coffee franchise as it stonewalls its own baristas’ fight for a fair contract and wages an illegal union-busting campaign against the very workers fueling its profits.

Despite touting itself as a progressive company, Starbucks has faced a litany of international complaints and a major lawsuit over serious human rights issues, including allegations of slavery-like conditions in its Brazilian supply chain. In addition to these serious allegations, the coffee giant has come under fire for alleged abusive practices in Mexico and China. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Starbucks continues to take heat from investors, customers and workers for failing to support its baristas at understaffed stores across the country. 

Last year, college students across the nation warned Starbucks executives that they’d ramp up their campaign to get our colleges to cut ties with the coffee giant if it continued to ignore its baristas’ demands. This semester, students are doing just that. 

We know that students have the power to make a difference. And we, the undersigned, are deeply committed to building a future where everyone’s voice is heard and every worker matters. We’re proud to stand with college students as they fight alongside Starbucks union baristas for an economy that works for everyone.

We are writing to impress upon college presidents across the country to listen to their students’ demands, put their weight behind Starbucks baristas, and end their partnerships with Starbucks. We call on every higher education institution to cut all financial ties with Starbucks until and unless the company finalizes a fair contract with workers and resolves its unfair labor practices. 

Signed,

Students Against Starbucks, Alliance for Youth Action, Campus Climate Network, Gen-Z For Change, Generation Vote, Higher Education Labor United, SEIU Higher Education Council, Students for International Labor Solidarity, Sunrise Movement, Voto Latino, Young Democratic Socialists of America, Colorado WINS, Graduate Employees’ Organization at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, SEIU Local 500,

Prof. Eileen Boris of Feminist Studies at UCSB, Sr. Lecturer Kate Bronfenbrenner of Labor Education Research at Cornell University, Mike Budd of United Faculty of Florida (FEA-AFT-NEA), Sr. Instructor Emerita Barbara Byrd, Labor Education & Research Center of University of Oregon, Director of UC Irvine Labor Center Christopher Duarte, Prof. Tobias Higbie of History and Labor Studies at UCLA, Manager of Institutional and Academic Partnerships at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies Maureen LaMar, Massachusetts Teachers Association Member Jerry Levinsky at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Prof. Emeritus of English Thomas Marvin at Indiana University, Project Director Justin McBride for Labor Studies at UCLA, Prof. Stephen Mumme of Political Science at Colorado State University, Assoc. Prof. of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Brian Munsky at Colorado State University, Prof. Victor Narro of Labor Studies at UCLA, Troy Norton of United University Professions (NYSUT-AFT) at Binghamton University, Director of the Joseph S. Murphy Institute Sarah Watson at CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, Assoc. Prof. Chris Zepeda-Millán at the Luskin School of Public Affairs UCLA, Co-Chairs of EmoryUnite! (WU-SRJB-SEIU) at Emory University: Eric Villalobos, Jessica Alvarez Staff, Tasfia Jahangir and Abigail Young