Starbucks to close Seattle HQ and lose 2,000 jobs after mayor calls for boycott? (“Mess around and find out” edition)

Photo above - Seattle experiences an average of 4 drug overdose deaths daily. New Mayor Katie Wilson ran on a platform of boycotting Starbucks, possibly because addicts don't vote . . .

It probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Newly elected mayor of Seattle Katie Wilson, caught up in the fervor of a “workers rally”, shouted out “I’m not buying Starbucks, and you shouldn’t either”. Katie is a former union president born a decade after Starbucks was founded in 1971. Her resume also includes stints in boat repair, construction work, and as an office assistant. Now she is Seattle's mayor. (see link below)

I am not personally a Starbucks customer. I could make a dozen decent cups of coffee at home for the cost of a $7 grande’. But if 80,000 voters in my city worked for Starbucks I’d be lucid enough not to bait them by declaring their employer persona-non-grata. This is something only a lunatic would do. But then again, Katie Wilson WAS elected.

2025 already saw the Seattle area lose tens of thousands of jobs as Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Oracle began shifting key operations elsewhere. Apparently in reaction to citywide drug use, homelessness, and crime. Workers with decent paychecks want decent conditions.

Mayor Wilson's ongoing animosity toward Starbucks appears to be a campaign strategy which jumped the tracks. She’s previously appeared at Starbucks’ barista picket lines, calling for companywide unionization. Newly hired baristas start at $16 an hour, and can earn up to $24 in straight salary before tips. Thousands of Starbucks locations are already unionized. Now Mayor Katie Wilson thinks Seattle voters and residents should boycott Starbucks, which trails only Amazon for creating local jobs. (Microsoft and Boeing have a significant corporate presence elsewhere in the state, but are not headquartered in Seattle itself).

I’m writing this rant on a PC running Microsoft Windows. The last airliner I flew on was a Boeing 737. Amazon delivers stuff to my door weekly I can’t boycott everything which some aspiring left wing politician believes is the golden ticket to elected office. But I’m not going to start patronizing Starbucks in opposition to this ill conceived boycott. And I’m not encouraging others to boycott Starbucks either. Those baristas are mostly fine people who were snookered into massive student loans to get useless degrees in sociology, psychology, philosophy, and poli-sci. They need their $16-$24 an hour plus tips. Therewill be enough high paying analytical jobs lost to AI in the near future that we don’t need to start $hitting on customer-facing workers too.

I’m just sayin’ . . .

Starbucks announces massive Nashville headquarters just 5 months after Seattle mayor called for boycott. Did it cost the city $100M and 2,000 jobs?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/starbucks-announces-massive-nashville-headquarters-just-5-months-after-seattle-mayor-called-for-boycott-did-it-cost-the-city-100m-and-2-000-jobs/ar-AA22LJCN?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6a003fd404d84f0db0d9a30457bd73b0&ei=26

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ArishMell · 70-79, M

Strange that the mayor could not see trying to force another employer out would not help the ciy's problems. It's tragic that any city, anywhere, should be in such decline.

Five months... That's not very long, so might Starbucks already have been planning to move anyway, and Seattle's domestic policies have simply hastened that?

Some while ago a PM correspondent on here showed me photos of a derelict car factory (Packard?), with its 1950s-60s style buildings, closed quite a long time ago and now vandalised ruins. I may have remembered wrongly but I think that was in Seattle- the beginning of the decline?

Though in a way you are not helping local business by shopping via Amazon. I won't touch it. It has a large presence in the UK too, where it pretentiously calls its warehouses "fulfillment centres", and is so terrified of unions it does all it legally can to deter membership.

That's not the only reason I won't use Amazon, and I buy hardly anything over the Internet anyway, but neither do I use the US-owned, Mactuckycostalottaburger chains. Here, they are very much up-price-down-value. At least in the UK they must pay at least the legal minimum wage and follow other employee-protection regulations; and though I certainly don't envy the work in many areas there is not much else available. I don't know these companies' stance towards unions, though.

jackjjackson · M

Do kabob stands follow all the rules? @ArishMell

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@jackjjackson Sorry- "kabob" is?

Ah - posted it, then suddenly twigged, "kebab". Different spelling for the same thing, I suppose. So came back to it.

Fair point.

Fast-food stands are usually operated by the owner and we can't really expect them to be able to follow all the rules and regulations governing big corporations. They might struggle to make enough money to pay themselves, let alone any employees.

jackjjackson · M

Do you frequent kebob stands? What is your favorite type of kebob? @ArishMell

exchrist · 36-40

Interesting, the solution to student debt is public university and inclusion of the first semester of college learning in high school (degree tracks, which include the first 2 or 3 semesters of a college degree in junior and senior years of High school). Another helpful step is maximum working age (forced retirement) to free up jobs for high school graduates and lower operational cost for businesses. A third solution is market share (not boycott) moreso spread the wealth. Select different coffee shops to incentivize competition. Small coffee shop Wednesday every other day home made tea. That kinda thing 7$ coffee everyday no wonder people are struggling. 50$ a week that would have paid rent or gas or food. Take public transportation, when possible, saves a lot of money. Little changes is better than boycotting a mainstay employer.
Let’s make sure Starbucks gets that message and makes a change. The goal shouldn’t be to cause mass layoffs.

1490wayb · 56-60, M

many corporations have left california, illinois, and new york also for more welcoming states and smaller tax burden

MoveAlong · 70-79, M

If Seattle has a mayoral recall provision they should implement it immediately.

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MoveAlong · 70-79, M

@SusanInFlorida She may have just been elected but if you have a dud it's never too early to start a recall. Beat the rush.

Saying stupid sht without thinking is very Trumpian. If she doesn't like the way Starbucks is operating in her city work to change it. Don't run them out of town.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@MoveAlong i'm more concerned about lies to get elected - promises which will never be kept - than political rhetoric

MoveAlong · 70-79, M

@SusanInFlorida

i'm more concerned about lies to get elected - promises which will never be kept - than political rhetoric

That's the entire history of American politics.

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Crazywaterspring · 61-69, M

The city of Nashville or the state of Tennessee could have bribed them with "development funds.". The state of Texas does that crap all the time.

People relocate and realize taxes only seem cheaper.

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