Bernie Sanders and Mamdani joined the Starbucks picket line in Brooklyn — see the photosNEWS | 04 December 2025Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and US Sen. Bernie Sanders joined striking Starbucks workers on a picket line outside a Starbucks store on 4th Avenue near 11th Street in Brooklyn.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and US Sen. Bernie Sanders joined striking Starbucks workers on a picket line outside a Starbucks store on 4th Avenue near 11th Street in Brooklyn. Anderson/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and US Sen. Bernie Sanders joined striking Starbucks workers on a picket line outside a Starbucks store on 4th Avenue near 11th Street in Brooklyn. Anderson/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.
lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Impact Link
Have an account? Log in .
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.
Starbucks baristas on an open-ended strike in Brooklyn got the kind of star power most labor actions can only dream of.
Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani showed up to walk the picket line alongside them on Monday, lending momentum to a movement energized by a historic legal win.
New York City announced on Monday a $38.9 million settlement with Starbucks for what officials described as "systematic violations" of the city's Fair Workweek Law.
A multi-year investigation by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection found the coffee giant committed more than 500,000 violations across 300 stores, including arbitrarily slashing hours, unpredictable schedules, and keeping baristas involuntarily part-time.
More than 15,000 baristas in the city are now set to receive restitution checks as soon as this winter.
Against that backdrop, Sanders and Mamdani joined striking workers outside a Brooklyn Starbucks store, posing for photos and blasting the company's labor practices.
In a statement on Monday, Starbucks said it supports the intent of New York City's Fair Workweek Law but said that the rules are so complex that even minor schedule changes can trigger violations.
The company said the settlement reflects compliance challenges shared across the restaurant industry, and pointed to recent investments in scheduling tools, training, and partner benefits.
Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson told Business Insider on Tuesday that Workers United "decided to walk away from the bargaining table."
"We've been very clear that we're ready to talk when the union is ready to return to negotiations," she said.
Starbucks maintains that several union proposals — including fruther wage increases and added premiums — are not viable.
Scroll to see photos from the Brooklyn picket line.Author: Never Miss A Story. Thibault Spirlet. Enter Your Email. Follow Authors. Source
