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New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani urged consumers to skip Starbucks as baristas stage an open-ended Unfair Labor Practices strike timed to Red Cup Day, which has historically driven record sales. On X, he said he would not buy Starbucks while workers strike, adding, "No contract, no coffee." The walkout follows stalled contract talks and a restructuring that closed more than 600 U.S. stores, and is the union's fourth strike since 2023 and third since CEO Brian Niccol began in October 2024. Starbucks said company-operated coffeehouses in North America were on track to exceed Thursday's sales expectations.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.