‘This is a union town.’ Zohran and Bernie join the Starbucks picket line to demand the coffee giant reach a fair contract with its unionized workforce after years of delay.
New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders joined striking Starbucks workers on the picket line Monday to demand the coffee giant reach a fair contract with its unionized workforce after years of delay tactics.
Speaking outside a store in Brooklyn, Mamdani said New York is a “union town,” and vowed to continue joining pickets even after he is sworn in as mayor on January 1. Responding to a question from Democracy Now!, Sanders said Mamdani’s successful campaign for mayor was a blueprint for the Democratic Party, with affordability and workers’ rights at the center of the agenda. “We have the grassroots of America behind us,” Sanders said.

Starbucks workers at unionized stores across the United States launched an open-ended strike November 13 accusing the company of unfair labor practices. Starbucks Workers United has been bargaining for a contract with the company since early last year. Monday’s picket came just hours after Starbucks reached a $38 million settlement with New York City for labor violations including denying workers stable and predictable schedules.
Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET.
Recent Posts
Nigerian Village Bombed by Trump Has ‘No Known History’ of Anti-Christian Terrorism, Locals Say
December 28, 2025
Take Action Now “Portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group is a gross misrepresentation of…
How Effective Are Protests? Historians Say: Very.
December 27, 2025
Take Action Now Protests change the protesters, their communities and the nation. From emancipation to women’s suffrage, civil rights and BLM, mass…
The United States’ Hidden History Of Regime Change—Revisited
December 26, 2025
Take Action Now The truculent trio—Trump, Hegseth, and Rubio—do Venezuela.By Barbara Koeppel, The Nation Since the early 20th century, the United…
The “President Of Peace” Prepares For War
December 23, 2025
Take Action Now The Donroe Doctrine Hits HomeBy William D. Hartung, Tom Dispatch Earlier this month, the Trump administration released its new…




