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Starbucks Baristas Expand Dress Code Strike
The ongoing strike by Starbucks baristas over the company’s new dress code has gained momentum, with more than 2,000 workers at 120 U.S. stores walking out as of Thursday. The strike began Sunday in response to the updated policy, which limits baristas to wearing solid black shirts with khaki, black, or blue denim bottoms.
The Starbucks Workers United union, representing employees at roughly 570 company-owned locations, contends that the dress code changes should be a subject of collective bargaining. They argue the company is prioritizing superficial changes over addressing core worker concerns. “Customers don’t care what color our clothes are when they’re waiting 30 minutes for a latte,” remarked Paige Summers, a shift supervisor from Hanover, Maryland.
Starbucks maintains that the new dress code, intended to highlight the signature green aprons and create a more welcoming atmosphere, is within their purview. The company has offered two free black T-shirts to each employee to assist with the transition. However, the union points to the irony of Starbucks selling branded apparel to employees that they are now prohibited from wearing at work.
The work stoppage, while impacting a small percentage of Starbucks’ 10,000 company-operated U.S. stores, underscores the ongoing tension between the company and the union. Starbucks has urged the union to return to the bargaining table, while the union has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board alleging a failure to bargain over the dress code. Negotiations between the two parties are slated to resume in February 2024.