More than 2000 Starbucks baristas from 120 US stores have gone on strike since Sunday to protest the new dress code set by Starbucks.
The new dress code, implemented starting Monday, requires baristas at company-operated and licensed stores in the US and Canada to wear a solid black shirt and khaki, black, or blue denim bottoms. This contrasts with the previous dress code allowing a broader range of darker colors and patterns.
The big picture: Starbucks Workers United, a union representing Starbucks employees, criticized the new dress code and argued that it should be subject to collective bargaining. The union believes that Starbucks management is focusing on the wrong things by implementing restrictions rather than listening to the concerns of the baristas who contribute to the customer experience.
- While Starbucks offered two free black T-shirts to each employee when announcing the new dress code, some employees and the union criticized the company for selling styles of Starbucks-branded clothing that are no longer allowed under the dress code.
- The strike, organized by the Starbucks Workers Union, saw 1000 workers staging walkouts at 75 US stores. Starbucks mentioned that the strike had a limited impact on its 10000 company-operated US stores as more than 99% remained open to serve customers.
Go deeper: Starbucks Workers United has been working towards unionizing US stores since 2021. Despite both parties agreeing to return to the bargaining table in February 2024, they have not reached a contract agreement.
- The union filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board regarding Starbucks’ failure to bargain over the new dress code.
