3,500 employees from more than 150 Starbucks locations will walk off the job next week throughout the country, the union for the coffee chain’s baristas announced on Friday, claiming the company had forbidden Pride Month decorations at its shops.
Earlier this month, according to the Starbucks Workers United union, the business decided to remove Pride Month flags and decorations from numerous locations. This comes in the wake of a fierce conservative boycott against several companies – including Target and Bud Light – which were accused of endorsing the LGBTQ+ community in their advertisements campaigns.
Starbucks, however, dismissed the allegations as “false” on Friday. It stated that “no change to any policy on this matter” had occurred and that it continued to encourage store managers to observe Pride Month as long as store safety regulations were observed.
In a tweet sent on Friday, Starbucks Workers United stated that the company’s Seattle Roastery, which is just nine blocks from Starbucks’ first-ever store at the Pike Place Market, was in charge of organizing the widespread strike.
STRIKE WITH PRIDE! Seattle Roastery leads nationwide Starbucks strike over Starbucks’ hypocritical treatment of LGBTQIA+ workers. Over 150+ stores and 3,500 workers will be on strike over the course of the next week.
— Starbucks Workers United (@SBWorkersUnited) June 23, 2023
This is hardly Starbucks’ first run-in with its employees. Since late 2021, workers at more than 300 of the restaurant chain’s roughly 9,000 company-owned outlets in the U.S. have voted to unionize in demand of higher wages and benefits. Hundreds of complaints alleging illegal labor practices, including dismissing union sympathizers and closing businesses during labor campaigns, are presently being made against the corporation.
Gay rights organizations now also accuse Starbucks for its inadequate support for the community after buckling under pressure from conservatives. In the last few months, due to its efforts to appeal to the transgender community, American retailer Target was forced to change Pride goods displays or even remove part of them from the shelves. A controversial advertisement featuring a trans influencer also cost Bud Light a sharp drop in sales in the U.S. market.
