A general view of a Starbucks store on September 15, 2022 in Plainview, New York, United States. Many families along with businesses are suffering the effects of inflation as the economy is dictating a change in spending habits.
Starbucks and the Starbucks Workers United-a union group founded in 2021-are suing each other. It all started with SWU decided to publish a pro-Palestine X post, saying that it supports solidarity with Palestine.
The American coffee giant wasn't happy about this since the union organization was using its logo, claiming that Starbucks Workers United was improperly taking advantage of its intellectual property.
Starbucks Workers United's Pro-Palestine X Post Leads to Lawsuit
According to Fox Business, Starbucks Workers United shared an X post with the caption "Solidarity with Palestine" a few days after the deadly Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
Before deleting the X post, SWU also retweeted and quoted another X post showing an image of a bulldozer destroying the security fence around the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Reports stated that the bulldozer was used by Hamas terrorists to breach the fence as part of their infiltration operations in Israel. Some people believed that this was also part of their previous attack, which killed over 1,400 Israelis and injured around 31 Americans.
Since Starbucks doesn't want to be linked with the Palestinian terrorist group, the coffee giant criticized the union's post. The company explained that the action of SWU resulted in some of Starbucks being associated with the organization's views.
"To be clear: We unequivocally condemn these acts of terrorism, hate, and violence, and disagree with the statements and views expressed by Workers United and its members," said the American coffeehouse chain.
Starbucks clarified that the statements and actions made by the Starbucks Workers United belong only to the organization.
The coffee giant also said that it expresses its deepest sympathy for those who were killed, wounded, displaced, and affected by the terror attacks caused by the Hamas group.
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SWU Sues Back Starbucks
Starbucks workers hold a rally on October 05, 2022 in New York City. Starbucks Workers United were joined in solidarity by various unions as they held a rally outside of a Staten Island store, slated to close for renovations later this month. They are calling for the right to negotiate employment terms.
In Starbucks' lawsuit, the coffee giant demanded SWU to stop using its name, logo, and other icons related to the company's brand.
But, the Starbucks Workers United retaliated by filing a lawsuit of its own. In its legal action, the organization argued that unions usually use the names of the companies that their members work for.
SWU provided examples, such as the Amazon Labor Union and the National Football League Players Association.
Aside from this, Starbucks Workers United President Lynne Fox also claimed that the coffee giant is taking advantage of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war to prevent unionization.
"Starbucks is seeking to exploit the ongoing tragedy in the Middle East to bolster the company's anti-union campaign," she explained. via the Associated Press.
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