On Nov. 6, Starbucks released their seasonal holiday menu and merchandise, including the new glass ‘Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup.’ This cup, among other developments such as the union group Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) organizing a nationwide protest on Nov. 13 due to their inability to secure a fair contract with Starbucks, has created quite the divide on social media in the past month.
The Maine Campus spoke with members of the UMaine Graduate Workers Union (UMGWU) to understand parallels to their fight for a fair contact with University of Maine System (UMS) administrators. Students sitting outside Starbucks were also interviewed to better understand ethical concerns surrounding Starbucks being the only third-party coffee option on campus outside Hotel Ursa’s Major Minor Coffee Bar.
Unionized Starbucks baristas started the “Red Cup Rebellion” strike on Nov. 13 to protest what they say is unfair treatment and a lack of progress on a union contract. According to the SBWU official website, they say that after months of talks, Starbucks would not agree to proposals that addressed issues like short staffing, low pay and inconsistent hours.
In a recent SBWU statement from their website, workers are saying that, “Starbucks partners around the country are experiencing the same, systemic problems: short staffing, unpredictable scheduling, low pay, rising healthcare costs, harassment, broken equipment and unfair discipline.”
Over the past year, the SBWU has filed more than one hundred unfair labor practice charges, saying Starbucks has made changes at work without proper bargaining.The strike involves thousands of baristas across the country, and the union hopes it will push Starbucks to come back to negotiations with better offers for workers.
With this recent protest and the craze around the holiday merchandise, some controversy has sparked on the UMaine campus, with students and staff displeased at the university carrying partnerships with companies undergoing active labor disputes. UMaine is one of the many colleges that are partnered with PepsiCo through a pouring rights’ contract, which ultimately controls which PepsiCo and adjacent brands can be served on campus.
Derek DeMello, a PhD history student and member of the UMGWU, weighed in on the conversation.
“Welcoming Starbucks to campus shows ignorance or disregard for the long-standing plight of Starbucks’s employees. There are obvious ethical concerns with the Starbucks corporation, yet they have found a home here on the UMaine campus,” said DeMello.
DeMello said he was unfamiliar with controversy surrounding the holiday merchandise drop.
“If it were up to me, the UMaine Starbucks would be boycotted until their workers win a fair contract. If Starbucks cannot deliver, then we should spend our money elsewhere until a business moves in willing to compensate their workers with the working conditions, healthcare and compensation they need and deserve,” said DeMello.
Students across campus shared how the ‘Bearista craze’ and the strike shaped their own perspectives on Starbucks — including Makenzie Smith, who is a third year student at UMaine.
“I saw the cups get super popular on TikTok. I found them cute, but did not think they would go as viral as they did. I was shocked when I found out stores sold out within minutes of opening their stores on launch day, and now some of the cups are even reselling for a couple hundred dollars,” said Smith.
Smith also shared her perspective on having a Starbucks store on campus.
“I feel like the Starbucks on campus has gotten students to utilize the student union. Before Starbucks, there was much less student activity and studying in the [Memorial] Union compared to now,” she said.
Smith’s perspective provides a different angle on the ongoing conversation regarding Starbucks presence on campus, demonstrating how the store is seen as a benefit among some students, despite the fact that larger ethical and labor-related concerns continue to surface.
