Some Starbucks customers have threatened to boycott the coffee giant after its CEO Howard Schultz announced that the company planned to hire 10,000 refugees over five years in 75 countries just two days after U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order banning refugees from certain countries.While many customers were immediately supportive of Starbucks' actions on social media, others threatened to boycott after the letter's release.
Trump on Friday put a four-month hold on allowing refugees into the United States and temporarily barred travellers from Syria and six other Muslim-majority countries, saying the moves would help protect Americans from terrorist attacks.
The order sparked widespread international criticism, outrage from civil rights activists and legal challenges.
Starbucks in a letter from Schultz told employees it would do everything possible to support affected workers.
The hiring efforts announced on Sunday would start in the United States by initially focussing on individuals who have served with U.S. troops as interpreters and support personnel in the various countries where the military has asked for such support, Schultz said.
Schultz has been outspoken on various issues and has put Starbucks in the national spotlight, asking customers not to bring guns into stores and urging conversations on race relations.
Schultz said on Sunday that if the Affordable Care Act is repealed and employees lose healthcare coverage, they would be able to return to health insurance through Starbucks.
Trump and a Republican-controlled legislature are seeking to undo much of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.
Airbnb, Google & others pledge support for refugees after Trump banMeanwhile, Airbnb said it would offer free accommodation "to refugees and anyone not allowed in the US."
"Open doors brings all of US together," tweeted company CEO Brian Chesky, asking those stranded by Trump's ban to contact him for a place to stay. "Closing doors further divides US."
"Not allowing countries or refugees into America is not right, and we must stand with those who are affected."Ford Motor Co also criticized Trump's controversial immigration order, becoming one of the highest profile U.S. manufacturers to question the order temporary banning travelers coming from seven predominantly Muslim countries.Ford executive chairman Bill Ford Jr. and Chief Executive Officer Mark Fields said in a statement to employees that the company does not support what it called a new U.S. travel ban.The leaders of Apple Inc, Google and Facebook Inc have also emailed their staff to denounce the suspension of the U.S. refugee program and the halting of arrivals from seven Muslim-majority countries, responding with company statements reiterating their commitment to diversity.
So far, Lloyd Blankfein, the chief executive of Goldman Sachs, is the only major U.S. bank boss to speak out directly against the executive order. "This is not a policy we support," Blankfein said in a message sent to staff on Sunday evening. "Being diverse is not optional; it is what we must be." Representatives of Citigroup Inc, Bank of America Corp and Morgan Stanley declined to comment on Trump's immigration order. Wells Fargo & Co said in a statement that it was reviewing the executive order and its implications for staff and its business.JPMorgan Chase & Co's Operating Committee, which includes CEO Jamie Dimon, sent a note to staff saying it was reaching out to all employees affected and noted that the country was, "strengthened by the rich diversity of the world around us." To be sure, some CEOs were more outspoken. Nike Inc CEO Mark Parker said the company did not support the executive order. "Nike believes in a world where everyone celebrates the power of diversity," he said in a statement. "Those values are being threatened by the recent executive order in the U.S. banning refugees, as well as visitors, from seven Muslim-majority countries."Brent Saunders, CEO of U.S. drugmaker Allergan Plc, tweeted: "Oppose any policy that puts limitations on our ability to attract the best & diverse talent." But many boardrooms kept quiet. Representatives for some energy companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp, for example, declined to comment.In his statement, General Electric Co CEO Jeff Immelt told staff that the company would engage with the U.S. government. "We will continue to make our voice heard with the new administration and Congress, and reiterate the importance of this issue to GE and to the business community overall," he wrote. One of the most immediate ways for corporate bosses to communicate with Trump about the immigration order will be the first meeting of his advisory panel of business leaders next week. Of the 19 leaders on that panel, only two, Elon Musk, who founded Tesla Motors Inc and SpaceX, and Travis Kalanick, CEO of Uber Technologies Inc, have spoken out against Trump's immigration curbs.