Starbucks’ response came after workers at more than 150 stores went on strike over the course of a week starting Friday to protest the company’s decor policy, its treatment of LGBT workers and unfair labor practices in general.
The Starbucks union said on Monday that the strike would continue unless the company agreed to come to the negotiating table. “While we are pleased that Starbucks is finally reconsidering its position on Pride decorations, Starbucks continues to ignore that it is legally required to bargain with unionized workers — that is the strength of the union,” the union said in a statement.
A Starbucks spokesperson said only 12 stores have had to close each day since the strike began.
The company also filed two counts with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the union of starting a “smear campaign” against it by misrepresenting the company’s positions on LGBTQ issues, including its benefits policy on gender affirmation sponsorship.
“It inflamed union abuse, fueled workplace tension and division, and sparked strikes and other business disruptions at Starbucks stores,” the charges said.
The union said it was confident the charges would be dropped, calling it a “public relations stunt”.
why does it matter:
How companies handle pride marketing has come under increasing scrutiny.
Bud Light, for example, faced backlash and reduced sales after a transgender influencer posted a promotional video for US beer products. Target, one of the nation’s largest retailers, said it had to move its Pride collection to prevent further threats to its employees.
Background: The struggle for bargaining raged.
The union has staged a series of strikes in the past year over what it says are aggressive anti-union tactics, such as retaliatory firings and deferred bargaining. In response to tensions with the union, Starbucks adopted a stricter dress code and decor policy to prevent workers from filling stores with union paraphernalia.
The union, which first filed petitions in three stores in August 2021, now represents about 8,000 company workers in more than 300 stores.
Starbucks has faced dozens of complaints from the National Labor Relations Board, including one in April that accused the company of failing to bargain in good faith with workers at more than 100 stores. In March, the coffee giant faced a harsh ruling from an administrative law judge who concluded it unlawfully retaliated against union workers.
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