On June 23, 2023, the Starbucks Workers United union declared that 3,500 employees and more than 150 Starbucks locations nationwide will go on strike the following week. Because Starbucks decided to forbid Pride Month décor at its cafés, the union is on strike.
The union asserts that Starbucks has not consistently upheld its rules on Pride Month decorations. Workers have been told they are not permitted in some establishments while others have given them permission to exhibit Pride Month decorations. The union claims that Starbucks is not committed to assisting its LGBTQ+ employees and that this discrepancy is unfair to workers.
On June 30, 2023—the final day of Pride Month—the strike is slated to occur. The union is hopeful that Starbucks would change its stance on Pride Month displays and show more support for its LGBTQ+ employees as a result of the walkout.
The Starbucks employees have walked out on strike before. Starbucks employees in Memphis, Tennessee, went on strike in December 2022 to protest the chain’s anti-union policies. After a two-week walkout, Starbucks decided to hire back the seven workers who had been dismissed for organizing.
The latest in a string of problems that have dogged Starbucks recently is the strike over Pride Month decorations. The business has come under fire for how it handled the COVID-19 pandemic, how it treated its workers, and how it operated in terms of the environment. The strike is evidence that Starbucks employees are growing impatient with the business and are prepared to take legal action to demand change.
Here are some more specifics on the strike:
- Stores in 19 states, including California, New York, and Washington, will be participating in the strike.
- Starbucks is being compelled by the union to permit employees to exhibit Pride Month decorations in their shops.
- Starbucks must stop opposing unions, according to the union, and enter into contract talks with its employees.
The dispute between Starbucks and its employees has significantly escalated as a result of the strike. Whether the strike will be effective in getting Starbucks to alter its practices is still up in the air. The strike, however, shows that Starbucks employees are prepared to stand up for their rights.
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