Starbucks CEO urges government officials to ‘Come Together’

As the federal government edges closer to the Jan. 1 deadline for automatic tax hikes and budget cuts, but no nearer to a plan to avoid the so-called “fiscal cliff,” Starbucks is urging its baristas in the Washington, D.C.-area to write “Come Together” on customers’ cups.

In a letter released Wednesday and posted on the Starbucks Partners Facebook page Thursday, Starbucks chief executive Howard Schultz urged units in the District of Columbia area to nudge patrons to support a plan to avoid the fiscal cliff, which the Congressional Budget Office said could lead to another recession.

“Our elected officials in Washington, D.C., have been unable to come together and compromise to solve the tremendously important, time-sensitive issue,” Schultz wrote in a post at the Starbucks Partners Facebook page, which is set up for company employees but open to the public. Starbucks has about 150 units in the D.C. area.

“Rather than be bystanders, you and your customers have an opportunity — and I believe we all have a responsibility — to send our elected officials a respectful but potent message, urging them to come together to find common ground,” Schultz continued.

The “Come Together” campaign was to last through Friday, he said. “This effort will be amplified by our friends at AOL and Patch, and print ads in the Washington Post and New York Times. It’s a small gesture, but that has always been what Starbucks is about! Imagine the power of our partners sharing such a simple message with hundreds of thousands of customers, one cup at a time.”

Schultz has urged actions on the part of the nation’s economy and politics in the past. In 2011, the Seattle-based coffee chain set up a wristband program and asked customers to make $5 donation to the “Create Jobs for USA” effort. Earlier that year, Schultz called for other corporate executives in all industries to stop making campaign contributions until lawmakers created a long-term plan for the nation and put an end to political bickering.

As for the “Come Together” cup messages, Schultz said he understood it would take time and left the option to the local workers.

“If your customers ask you ‘Why?’ or ‘What do the words mean?’ tell them it’s a holiday gift from us to them, celebrating the spirit that has always bridged differences that divide us,” Schultz wrote.

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].
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