Starbucks union says Pride weekend strikes closed 21 U.S. shops

The union organizing Starbucks employees stated Monday {that a} strike timed to Pride month closed 21 shops over the weekend, together with the corporate’s flagship Reserve Roastery in Seattle.

The strike will proceed via this week and is predicted disrupt operations at greater than 150 shops, Starbucks Workers United stated. The Seattle Roastery was closed all day Friday and was open for simply 5 hours on Sunday as a substitute of its ordinary 15, the union stated.

Starbucks stated the affect on its operations has been restricted. On Monday, 120 shops had been taking part within the strike however solely 13 of these had been absolutely closed, the corporate stated. In some circumstances, drive-thrus have remained open however cafes have closed, the corporate stated.

Workers are protesting experiences that some Starbucks shops banned LGBTQ+ Pride shows this yr after backlash towards corporations like Target, the place indignant clients tipped over Pride shows and confronted employees. The union additionally says Starbucks officers have warned employees that unionizing may threaten their well being advantages, together with gender take care of transgender employees.

But Starbucks insists there was no change of company coverage round Pride shows or worker advantages. Starbucks prolonged full well being care to same-sex companions in 1988 and added protection for gender reassignment surgical procedure in 2013.

In a letter to staff posted Friday on Starbucks’ web site, CEO Laxman Narasimhan famous {that a} Pride flag is at present flying over the corporate’s Seattle headquarters, simply because it has in previous years.

“We want to be crystal clear: Starbucks has been and will continue to be at the forefront of supporting the LGBTQIA2+ community, and we will not waver in that commitment,” Narasimhan stated. “As such, we strongly disapprove of any person or group, seeking to use our partners’ cultural and heritage celebrations to create harm or flagrantly advance misinformation for self-interested goals.”

At least 319 of Starbucks’ 9,265 company-operated U.S. shops have voted to unionize since late 2021, whereas 76 shops have voted towards unionizing, in keeping with the National Labor Relations Board. Workers are in search of assured minimal hours, gender-neutral retailer loos and security enhancements, amongst different issues.

Starbucks doesn’t assist unionization, and the trouble has been contentious. Earlier this month, the corporate agreed to settle an NLRB grievance that it improperly blocked unionized staff from working shifts at University of Washington soccer video games. The firm agreed to again pay for 10 employees and likewise stated it could inform present staff within the Seattle space that it gained’t intervene with their proper to prepare.

Workers went on strike twice late final yr and once more in March forward of the corporate’s annual assembly. But the strikes don’t look like impacting buyer demand. Starbucks’ U.S. same-store gross sales had been up 12% within the quarter ending April 2.