Since the headline is really ambiguous: the striking workers would like more ability to decorate for pride.
queer rights have been a big flashpoint of SBWU actions in general, for those who haven’t been following the unionization efforts–last year for example Starbucks was holding the possibility of employees losing their gender-affirming care benefits over workers who wanted to unionize.
Thanks for a second I was like… dude you work at a Starbucks ??? But yeah, upset they can’t actually decorate for pride but it seems not an issue with corporate, as much as an issue with shitty local management.
FWIW, my employer runs a Starbucks location and they put up both Pride decorations and put together a feature drink.
Yeah from the headline I thought they wovè stricking against lgbt stuff
Starbucks leadership are both cowards and assholes. This is just another thing in a long line of offenses (particularly union busting).
from the article:
“Starbucks gives autonomy to local leaders to ‘find ways to celebrate.’ These leaders are the same ones issuing many of the Pride bans,” it said pointing to an article that Pride decor was banned from about 100 locations across parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. Those locations are in some of the more conservative regions of a deeply divided United States. Many Starbucks locations across the country have been displaying Pride decorations.
Starbucks Workers United says this is an example of Starbucks bowing to pressure, as Target did when moving or removing Pride merchandise from some stores. Pride has become a political flashpoint this year, with the right attacking companies for celebrating the inclusive celebrations.
So these workers are striking against policies enacted by their local owner rather than solely for issues with a corporate policy (though surely they have reason to strike against corporate, too, and even the end of the article mentions Starbucks’ anti-union history).
Some of these stores are planning to have food trucks and other event stuff during the strike to raise money for SBWU. So if you’re near one, check it out!
