Just weeks after it was reported that some Starbucks stores had banned Pride Month decor, thousands of Starbucks workers have chosen to go on strike. According to CNN Business, the week-long strike began on Friday, June 23, and will include approximately 150 unionized Starbucks stores in the United States.
Starbucks Workers United, an organization that has been vocal about the company allegedly banning Pride Month decor, offered some insight via Twitter on why they've chosen to strike.
"Some clarification for those who have been following Strike with Pride. This is an UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE STRIKE over Starbucks’ refusal to bargain over changes in pride decoration policies in addition to their illegal union-busting campaign impacting queer workers. We are standing up to Starbucks' hypocritical treatment of LGBTQIA+ workers. Starbucks claims to care about queer workers, yet they will not bargain with us. You can read about some of our specific demands to protect LGBTQIA+ workers here," Starbucks Workers United tweeted on Saturday.
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Although Starbucks previously issued a statement claiming "there has been no change to any policy on this matter," Starbucks Workers United stated that the company has not been consistent with their stance on the matter of Pride Month decor and have subsequently allowed store leaders to put in place bans.
"Starbucks gives autonomy to local leaders to 'find ways to celebrate.' These leaders are the same ones issuing many of the Pride bans. More Perfect Union reports that higher-ups banned decorations in more than 100 stores across three states," read a tweet from Starbucks Workers United.
In response to news of the strike, a spokesperson for Starbucks told The Washington Post that the strike is a “tactic used to seemingly divide our partners.”
Danielle Harling is an Atlanta-based freelance writer with a love for colorfully designed-spaces, craft cocktails and online window shopping (usually for budget-shattering designer heels). Her past work has appeared on Fodor’s, Forbes, MyDomaine, Architectural Digest and more.
