Starbucks sues worker union, saying customers are 'chastising' the coffee chain and vandalizing stores over pro-Palestinian social media posts

• Starbucks sued Starbucks Workers United and affiliates, alleging trademark infringement.
• The suit followed pro-Palestinian social media posts and reposts that appeared on union accounts.

Starbucks and the labor group representing more than 360 of its unionized stores in the US are suing each other over use of the company's name and logos.

The legal battle erupted when, according to Starbucks, the union and a local affiliate representing employees posted or reposted social media messages on X, formerly Twitter, that called for solidarity with Palestine.

In a trademark-infringement lawsuit filed Wednesday, Starbucks accused Starbucks Workers United, and an affiliate, Iowa City Starbucks Workers United, of damaging the brand's reputation. The suit also names Service Employees International Union. The Starbucks union is an SEIU affliate.

Earlier this month, the militant group Hamas launched its deadliest-ever attack on Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Hamas and launched a series of retaliatory attacks from Israel. Hundreds have been killed on both sides.

The lawsuit includes a screengrab of a post shared by the Starbucks Workers United page on X under the headline "Solidarity with Palestine!" The repost no longer appears on the group's page. It referred to a post that showed a bulldozer that had toppled part of a border fence in Gaza.

Starbucks' lawsuit also included several screengrabs of pro-Palestine posts shared by the union local in Iowa City. The shared posts were still on the local's X page as of Thursday afternoon.

Starbucks says the defendants' use of "Starbucks Marks, or variations thereof" in posts about the attacks have caused the public to falsely attribute views to Starbucks.

An angry caller threatened to "shut down" the Seattle Starbucks Reserve Roastery, according to the suit. A Rhode Island store was vandalized "with a swastika painted on the front door and Stars of David painted on the door and an exterior window," Starbucks said in the suit.

"Starbucks received hundreds of complaints from customers and other members of the public in the immediate aftermath, chastising and singling out Starbucks—not Defendants—for supporting Hamas," according to the suit.

Starbucks Workers United countersued the chain in federal court in Pennsylvania, asking to be allowed to continue to use the circular green Starbucks Workers United logo. The union also denied supporting violence. "Starbucks Workers United did not make a "statement" let alone multiple "statements" advocating for violence, nor did the union take a "position" supporting violence."

The union said Starbucks apparently referenced an unauthorized post on the union's X account that was deleted after 30-40 minutes.

The union did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Starbucks referred Insider to an October 17 message to employees, from the company's chief partner officer, Sara Kelly.

The message says, in part: "Starbucks unequivocally condemns acts of terrorism, hate and violence, and we strongly disagree with the views expressed by Workers United, including its local affiliates, union organizers and those who identify as members of "Starbucks Workers United" – none of these groups speak for Starbucks Coffee Company and do not represent our company's views, positions, or beliefs. Their words and actions belong to them, and them alone. "

Starbucks says posts have led to calls for a boycott

In its lawsuit, Starbucks says its brand is one of the "most recognized and valuable brands in the world" whose "highly distinctive trademarks" have an "unmatched reputation of excellence." That includes the company's famed Siren circular green logo.

The chain alleges that the union has been "co-opting" the chain's trademarks to sell signs, T-shirts, pins, hats, mugs, cups, and masks.

But Starbucks didn't move to sue the union for trademark infringement until this week as the union's pro-Palestinian posts escalated, leading to "property damage, threats, and calls for a boycott against Starbucks," the suit stated.

"Defendants' unauthorized and repeated instances of copying and use of Starbucks trademarks and copyrighted works, in violation of state and federal law, which have damaged Starbucks reputation and business, weakened the distinctive quality of Starbucks trademarks, and infringed Starbucks rights in its intellectual property," the suit states.