Attorney General James Visits Starbucks Workers in Buffalo

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today met with Starbucks workers at the Elmwood Avenue store in Buffalo to discuss their historic unionization and their ongoing efforts to protect workers. She was joined by State Senator Timothy M. Kennedy and Gary Bonadonna of Workers United. She released the following statement after her meeting:

“I am inspired by the Starbucks employees in Buffalo who are leading a national movement to empower workers. They courageously stood up to a multi-billion-dollar company to demand fairer pay and better workplace conditions — and they won. Their heroic efforts will go down in history as a major milestone in the labor movement. Worker protections are not a luxury — they’re a right — and I will continue to use the power of my office to protect those rights. I am proud to stand with these workers as they continue their fight for fair workplace conditions for Starbucks employees in Buffalo and across the nation.”

Earlier this month, Attorney General James joined other elected officials in a letter to call on Starbucks to immediately stop union busting.

Attorney General James has always been a champion for workers’ rights and stood in solidarity with workers to demand fairer pay and stronger protections. Today’s visit is the most recent example of her support for the Starbucks Workers Union. In November 2021, Attorney General James publicly supported the Buffalo Starbucks employees’ efforts to unionize and in January she applauded them for forming the company’s second ever union.