Marchers with Starbucks go through the landmark intersection of Hollywood and Highland in the course of the annual Pride Parade in Los Angeles, June 12, 2022.
David Mcnew | Getty Images
Strikes at some organized U.S. Starbucks stores began Friday in Seattle, after the coffee giant and the union representing baristas publicly clashed over claims that the corporate was not allowing Pride month decor in cafes.
The union, Starbucks Employees United, said greater than 150 stores representing nearly 3,500 staff have pledged to affix the strikes, which is able to happen over the following week. Greater than two dozen additional stores are voting on strike authorizations and the count could rise to almost 200 stores by the top of the week, the union said.
Last week, the union alleged dozens of U.S. stores weren’t allowing employees to brighten for Pride month, accusations that suggested a wave of backlash against LGBTQ+ inclusion had reached a perceived liberal bastion in corporate America. Starbucks said it had not revised its guidelines for store decorations.
“There was no change to any policy on this matter and we proceed to encourage our store leaders to rejoice with their communities including for U.S. Pride month in June,” the corporate said last week, adding that it unwaveringly supports the LGBTQ+ community. Local store leaders and employees could make their very own decorating decisions inside guidelines specified by the corporate’s safety and security manuals.
In response to the strike pledges, the corporate added, “Employees United continues to spread false details about our advantages, policies and negotiation efforts—a tactic used to seemingly divide our partners and deflect from their failure to reply to bargaining sessions for greater than 200 stores.”
In a post on its website, Starbucks shared a June 14 letter from its VP of Partner Resources, May Jensen, to Employees United President Lynne Fox demanding the union “stop from knowingly misleading partners.”
Protesters in Seattle join a Starbucks Employees United strike over what the union alleges is a change in policy over Pride décor in stores. Starbucks maintains it has not modified its policies and encourages stores to rejoice inside the company’s safety and security guidelines, while the union alleges staff in 22 states where staff haven’t been able to brighten.
Rob Weller | CNBC
Employees United has alleged instances in no less than 22 states when staff haven’t been able to brighten, pointing to social media accounts where staff have documented their claims. The union said it has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Starbucks over what it alleges is a change in policy. Among the strikes in the approaching days are tied to that claim.
Not the entire stores that may strike had issues related to Pride decor.
Parker Davis, a 21-year-old barista in San Antonio, Texas, works at a store that has not had a dispute around Pride decor but will probably be an element of the strikes.
“There is a large percentage of partners at my store who’re a part of the LGBTQ community, and who feel that Starbucks’ continued actions with attempting to limit or take down pride decorations just doesn’t make sense with what the corporate has done prior to now,” Davis said.
Davis told CNBC he expects several picketers, but said it was unclear if the shop would find a way to open in the course of the strike.
The general public back-and-forth over decorations to rejoice Pride month comes as major brands including Goal and Bud Light have been targeted for supporting the LGBTQ+ community. In each of those cases, the businesses faced opposition from conservative consumers to partnerships with or merchandise for transgender people — after which saw backlash from more liberal customers for perceived deference to the critics.
In Oklahoma, staff were told restrictions on decorating were out of a priority for safety after recent attacks at Goal stores, the union said.
Protesters in Seattle join a Starbucks Employees United strike over what the union alleges is a change in policy over Pride décor in stores. Starbucks maintains it has not modified its policies and encourages stores to rejoice inside the company’s safety and security guidelines, while the union alleges staff in 22 states where staff haven’t been able to brighten.
Rob Weller | CNBC
The Starbucks staff are also striking over claims that the coffee chain is dragging its feet on negotiating contracts.
“Good faith bargaining looks like each side providing proposals and trying to satisfy in the center — Starbucks just isn’t willing to do this,” Employees United said in a press release. “Despite having our non-economic proposals for over 8 months and our economic proposals for over a month now, Starbucks has didn’t tentatively conform to a single line of a single proposal or provide a single counter proposal. What Starbucks is doing just isn’t bargaining, it’s stalling.”
The strike “is vital to me since it sends the message that we should not going to face idly by while Starbucks continues to delay contract negotiations and continues to take part in union busting,” Davis said.
For its part, Starbucks maintains Employees United has responded to only 1 / 4 of the greater than 450 bargaining sessions Starbucks has proposed for individual stores nationally, thus far, and said it’s committed to progressing negotiations toward a primary contract.
Protesters in Seattle join a Starbucks Employees United strike over what the union alleges is a change in policy over Pride décor in stores. Starbucks maintains it has not modified its policies and encourages stores to rejoice inside the company’s safety and security guidelines, while the union alleges staff in 22 states where staff haven’t been able to brighten.
Rob Weller | CNBC
The roastery where the strikes began Friday has not had any disputes over Pride decorations, but can also be striking in solidarity. About two dozen unionized employees protested outside the shop in the course of the day. The placement was closed after it briefly opened, a Starbucks spokesperson said.
“The roastery wants to point out solidarity with all staff which have been discriminated against in the corporate,” Mari Cosgrove, a 28-year-old barista on the Seattle location, told CNBC.
“Frankly, it appears like an attack when these flags are taken down,” Cosgrove said. “The partners in these stores really appreciate with the ability to be seen and feel like this can be a community space for them. Starbucks has really prided itself on being a 3rd place, including for its staff.”
Greater than 300 company-owned stores have voted to unionize for the reason that first filing took place in August of 2021, but Starbucks and Employees United have yet to conform to a contract.
Starbucks has greater than 9,000 company-owned locations within the U.S.
— CNBC’s Amelia Lucas contributed to this report.