Starbucks, Workers United union sue each other after pro-Palestinian social media post

Starbucks and the union organizing its workers sued each other Wednesday in a standoff sparked by a social media post over the Israel-Hamas war.

Starbucks sued Workers United in federal court in Iowa Wednesday, saying a pro-Pa🧸lestinian social medi💃a post from a union account early in the Israel-Hamas war angered hundreds of customers and damaged its reputation.

Starbucks is suing for trademark infringement, demanding that Workers United stop using the name “Starbucks Workers United” for the gro﷽up that is organizing the coffee company’s workers.

Starbucks also wants the group to stop using a circu𒁏lar green logo that resembles Starbucks’ logo.

Workers United responded with its own filing, asking a federal court in Pennsylvania to rule that it can continue to use Star꧙bucks’ name and a similar logo.

Workers United also said Starbucks defamed the union by implying that it supports♈ terrorism and violence.

On Oct. 9, two days after  across communities in southern Israel, Starbucks Workers United posted “Solidarity with Palestine!” on X, formerly known as 🍰Twitter.

Workers United — a Philadelphia-based affiliate of the Service Employees International Union — said in its lawsuit that workers put up the tweet without the authorization of u💫nion leaders.

The post 🌱was up for about 40 minutes before it was deletedℱ.

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But posts and retweets from local Starbucks Workers United br🌌anches supporting Palestinians and condemning Israel were still visible on ꩲX Wednesday.

Seattle-based Starbucks filed it🐼s lawsuit in US District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, noting that Iowa City Starbucks Workers United was among those posting pro-♑Palestinian messages.

In a letter sent to Workers United on Oct. 13, Starbucks demanded th♛at the union stop using its 🤡name and similar logo.

In its response, Workers United said Starbucks Work♌ers United’s page onꩵ X clearly identifies it as a union.

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“Starbucks is seeking to exp﷽loit the ongoing tragedy in the Middle East to bolster the company’s anti-union campaign,” Workers United President Lynne Fox wrote in a letter to Starbucks.

In its lawsuit, Workers United noted that unions often use🌠 the company name of the workers they ꧒represent, including the Amazon Labor Union and the National Football League Players Association.

Starbucks said it received mor🐓e than🍸 1,000 complaints about the union’s post.

The Seattle-based coffee giant said workers had to face hos🌠tile customers and received threatening𒆙 phone calls.

Vandals spray-painted Stars of David aไnd a swastika on the windows of a 🌺Rhode Island store.

Some lawmakers, including Republican Sen. Rick Scot🧔t of Florida, called for 🎶boycotts of Starbucks.

“If you go to Starbucks, you are supporting killing Jews,ꦦ” Florida state Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican, tweeted on Oct. 11.

Starbucks’ official statements on the wꦆar have expressed sympathy for innocent victims in both Israel and Gaza.

“Starbucks unequivocally condemns acts of hate, terrorism and violence,” Starbuc🥀ks Executive Vice President Sara Kelly wrote in a letter to employees last week.

Workers United hasn’t issued its own statement.

But its parent, th🌊e SEIU, said Tuesday that it has many members with family on both sides of the conflict and believes “all Israelis and Palestinians dese♋rve safety, freedom from violence, and the opportunity to thrive.”

Starbucks Workers United has been operating under that name since August 2021, a🦩 few months before it unionized its first Starbucks store in Buffalo,🅘 New York. Since then, at least 366 US Starbucks have voted to unionize.

The campaign helped kick off🦂 a  by Amazon workers, Hollywood writers and actors and auto workers.

But Sta🐟rbucks doesn’t ✤support unionization and  at any of its unionized stores.

The process has been contenti🔥ous, with workers organizing .

Federal district judges and administrative judges with the National Labor Relations Board have issued 38 decisions finding unfair labor practices by Starbucks, the NLRB said, including♓ delaying negotiations and withholding benefits from unionized workers.