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This demand coincides with the union's coordinated strike at approximately 65 locations nationwide, timed deliberately on Red Cup Day—Starbucks’ holiday cornerstone that traditionally drives its highest sales of the year. The union's claim? It’s about stalled contract negotiations—workers demanding higher wages, better benefits, improved scheduling, and stronger job protections.
The Irony of Economic Self-Sabotage
Mamdani's plea to boycott Starbucks, however, raises a glaring logical dilemma. The city’s reliance on corporate taxes from chains like Starbucks is critical for funding sweeping socialist programs he campaigned on—free child care, elimination of fares, city-owned grocery stores, and more.