Why is everyone boycotting Starbucks? A look inside why the coffee chain is under scrutiny

You may have noticed on your social media page a trend of more and more people are calling for a boycott to Starbucks, leaving many confused. The protests are stemming from a series of issues so it may be difficult to keep track. Here is a timeline of the drama that has been following the national coffee chain and an explanation as to why so many people are not buying from the store.

Boycotts over tensions in the Middle East

Starbucks and the union organizing its workers are now suing each other in federal court over a social media post that was sent out by the worker's union supporting Palestine in light of the Israel-Hamas war.

Starbucks sued Starbucks Workers United in federal court in October for trademark infringement after the union sent out a social media post saying "Solidarity with Palestine!" a few weeks after the Hamas attack against Israel which killed 1,200 people and took 240 people hostage.

Starbucks Workers United countersued Starbucks asking a federal court in Pennsylvania to rule that they continue using their name and similar logo and are saying "Starbucks defamed the union by implying that it supports terrorism and violence."

Starbucks distanced themselves from the worker's union's Pro-Palestine stance, putting out an official statement that read: “We unequivocally condemn these acts of terrorism, hate and violence, and disagree with the statements and views expressed by Workers United and its members.” Starbucks also claimed in the statement that the union social media post led to angry and hurt customers confronting partners in their stores while sending graphic and violent messages.

The official statement made by the coffee chain may have sparked even more public outrage.

The TikTok data center shows that #boycottstarbucks has been used in about five thousand posts generating over 42 million views in the past 30 days. Overall there are about 17,000 posts with this hashtag that have received over one hundred and seventy five thousand views.

While Starbucks claims they have lost many customers due to the union's tweet that showed solidarity with Palestine, many of those boycotting Starbucks are people who are Palestinian supporters. Popular posts on TikTok, some having over 100,000 likes, show users expressing their dissatisfaction with the company using #boycottstarbucks along with #freePalestine.

Other videos show pro-Palestinian organizers in front of a Starbucks in New York City chanting at the establishment that they support genocide.

After the Hamas attacks, Israel responded with a barrage of bombings in Gaza. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 17,487 Palestinians have been killed since the Oct. 7 attacks. Protests across country have been calling for a ceasefire.

Starbucks losing money

While it may not be related to the boycotts, it is important to observe Starbucks' market value has dropped by nearly $11 billion during the past month, a 9.4% decline. The coffee shop's stock dropped 1.6% on Dec. 7 , declining for a seventh consecutive market session.

Starbucks union protests

The drama surrounding Starbucks does not stop at consumer boycotts. The lawsuit barrage between the company and its workers is just one example of how the two sides of been disputing for the past few years.

Starbucks Workers United, the union that represents thousands of baristas at 340 different locations nationwide, are still trying to get their first unionized contract.

This saga between the corporation and its workers goes back to 2021 when a Starbucks in Buffalo, N.Y. became the first to unionize in the United States. Since then hundreds of stores across the country followed their lead.

In New Jersey, five Starbucks locations have agreed to unionize, the latest being a store in Roxbury Township that unionized in August of this year. The other stores are in Hopewell, Hamilton, Summit and Montclair.

Starbucks workers want to negotiate for a wage increase, better working conditions, scheduling and other issues.

The ongoing struggle has led to worker protests, the most recent being on Starbuck's "Red Cup Day" on Nov. 16. On this promotional day, Starbucks gives reusable cups to customers who order holiday drinks. During one of the busiest days of the year for the store, workers across 360 stores staged a walkout. Some stores were shut down for nearly the entire day while other stores only closed for a few hours.

The union has claimed Starbucks is doing everything they can to stop this labor movement from fining workers to shutting down stores.

The tension brewing between the company and the union can hurt Starbuck's reputation. With the consumer boycotts continuing the Starbucks seeks to find new ways to help sales increase. The store is offering rewards members 50% off a drink Thursday afternoons this month for “Festive Thurs-Yays.” Starbucks hope the boycotts and protests come to an end soon so their revenue will get back to trending upward.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Why is everyone boycotting Starbucks? Controversies explained