Workers at more than 150 Starbucks locations are set to go on strike over allegations that they were banned from putting up Pride decorations.
The union Starbucks Workers United said that 3,000 workers will strike at the more than 150 stores over the course of the next week. The union is demanding that all Starbucks locations be allowed to display Pride decorations to support the LGBT+ community.
Starbucks has rejected the allegations, saying that the company hasn’t issued any policies or guidance telling stores to remove Pride decorations.
The union alleges that the company didn’t allow some stores to decorate their coffee shops for Pride Month or that they ordered that decorations be taken down after they had already been put up.
In a statement shared with The Independent, the union said that this is the “latest in Starbucks’s retaliation against workers, which includes threatening workers’ access to existing benefits, denying new benefits to union stores, firing worker leaders like Lexi Rizzo, and other illegal attempts to dissuade partners from organizing”.
Moe Mills, a shift supervisor in Richmond Heights, west of St Louis, Missouri said that “Starbucks is scared of the power that their queer partners hold, and they should be. Their choice to align themselves with other corporations that have withdrawn their ‘support’ of the queer community in the time we need it most shows that they are not the inclusive company they promote themselves to be”.
The strike action comes amid a rightwing backlash against Target and Bud Light over their Pride Month activities.
“We’re striking with pride to show the public who Starbucks really is, and to let them know we’re not going anywhere,” Mr Mills added.
In its statement, the union called Starbucks “one of the worst violators of labor law in modern US history”.
Starbucks United pointed to several instances of Pride decorations being taken down. One viral video shared on TikTok allegedly shows managers taking down Pride decorations.
State Street Starbucks in Madison, Wisconsin tweeted from an unofficial account on 11 June: “Happy Pride month from State Street, today Starbucks made our store take down all of our Pride decorations! But they’ll make money off of the Pride cups and celebrate Pride wherever it looks good for them.”
In a video shared on TikTok, a worker in Atlanta, Georgia spoke out about not being allowed to decorate for Pride Month.
Staff in Columbus, Ohio filmed a customer getting rid of her drink after seeing the district manager take down Pride flags.
In a letter, a Starbucks manager said the decision was made to create “consistency” across stores. A manager in the Mid-Atlantic region texted a similar message to staff, telling them not to buy Pride decorations.
The union also shared a number of instances where Starbucks staff posted on Reddit about the taking down of Pride decorations.
In its statement to The Independent, Starbucks said, “We unwaveringly support the LGBTQIA2+ community. There has been no change to any policy on this matter and we continue to encourage our store leaders to celebrate with their communities including for US Pride Month in June”.
“We’re deeply concerned by false information that is being spread especially as it relates to our inclusive store environments, our company culture, and the benefits we offer our partners,” the company said. “Starbucks has a history that includes more than four decades of recognizing and celebrating our diverse partners and customers—including year-round support for the LGBTQIA2+ community.
“As a company, we will always use our voice to advocate for greater understanding on the importance of inclusion and diversity across the communities we serve around the world. We are investigating isolated issues to ensure all stores are aligned to our longstanding guidance, which allow partners and local leaders to display their support for a variety of heritage months.”
