Workers at 150 Starbucks in the US plan strike clash over LBGTQ facility
Workers at more than 150 Starbucks locations across the United States are planning to go on strike as the coffee chain and a union representing baristas clash over displays supporting LBGTQ causes in stores during Pride month.
Starbucks Workers United said in a tweet Friday that 3,500 workers will strike in the coming week. Starbucks has consistently denied claims by union organizers that it was banning Pride displays in its U.S. stores after brands like Disney, Target and Bud Light faced related backlash and negative social media campaigns in some parts of the country.
STRIKE WITH PRIDE! Seattle Roastery leads nationwide Starbucks strike over Starbucks’ hypocritical treatment of LGBTQIA+ employees. More than 150 stores and 3,500 workers will go on strike over the next week.
Even brands like Chick-fil-A, which closes on Sunday for a day of “rest and worship,” and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store have been targeted by anti-LBGTQ groups and individuals online.
The union representing baristas, Workers United, says store managers across the country have curtailed or removed displays during a month-long celebration of LGBTQ people.
In some cases, the union said, managers told workers that Pride displays posed a safety risk, citing recent incidents at Target in which angry customers knocked over merchandise and confronted workers. Starbucks said last week there was no change in any policy on the matter and its support is “unwavering.”
A spokesperson for the United Steel Workers, which represents a handful of unionized locations in Canada, told CBC News in a statement that it is not aware of any similar actions in Canada because none of their members have reported locations removing Pride-related signage.
The company has been vocal in its support of LGBTQ+ employees for decades. It expanded full health benefits to same-sex partners in 1988 and added health coverage for sex reassignment surgery in 2013.
Starbucks Corp. also currently sells Pride-themed cups in its stores designed by Toronto artist Tim Singleton. A request for comment from Singleton by CBC News on Friday was not immediately answered.
Seattle-based Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Friday.
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