Starbucks has threatened a union representing thousands of its employees with legal action after it espoused support for Hamas terrorists on social media, according to a letter obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
Last week, the Free Beacon reported that Starbucks Workers United expressed "Solidarity with Palestine!" in deleted social media posts. The union’s chapters in Iowa, Chicago, and Boston promoted rallies in support of Hamas attacks on Israel, including a "Long Live Palestinian Resistance" rally in Boston. The union’s backing of a terrorist attack that killed more than 1,200 Israelis drew widespread condemnation, including calls from Sen. Rick Scott (R., Fla.) to boycott the coffee giant over the union’s stance.
But Starbucks says it vehemently rejects the union’s support for Hamas and is now demanding Starbucks Workers United "immediately cease and desist" from using the company’s name and logo. Starbucks said the union’s statements "advocat[ed] for violence" and caused "irreparable harm" to the company.
"Starbucks does not support your organization’s position," Starbucks counsel Rocky C. Tsai wrote to Lynne Fox, the international president of Workers United, which oversees the Starbucks union. "This matter must be resolved immediately. If it is not, we will seek all appropriate legal relief, including without limitation monetary damages."
Starbucks Workers United, which represents just three percent of Starbucks employees, has landed support from liberal lawmakers like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.).
The Starbucks union joins other American liberal groups in siding with Hamas over their Israeli targets. The Democratic Socialists of America, which counts five House Democrats as members, held rallies across the country in support of Hamas, which has taken dozens of women and children hostage. The Chicago chapter of Black Lives Matter advertised an anti-Israel rally with a poster that featured an armed Hamas paraglider, a reference to the gunmen who killed nearly 300 Israelis in the first wave of attacks last week.
Starbucks Workers United did not respond to a request for comment.