(Reuters) -More than 3,000 workers at over 150 Starbucks stores in the United States will go on strike next week, the union representing the coffee chain’s baristas said on Friday, following claims that the company had banned Pride Month decorations at its cafes.
The strikes were also aimed at protesting against employees’ treatment at Starbucks and pushing for a fair labor contract covering better pay and benefits, the Starbucks Workers United union added.
Shares of Starbucks, which runs about 9,000 U.S. company-owned locations, fell 3%.
The call for a strike comes days after the union said Starbucks had taken down some Pride Month decorations and flags at several stores, a matter that was also discussed by some workers on social media.
Starbucks on Friday denied the claims, calling them “false information”. It said last week there had been “no change to any policy on this matter” and that it was still encouraging store managers to celebrate Pride Month as long as store safety guidelines were followed.
Several U.S. retail brands have faced backlash from conservatives over the display of LGBTQ+ merchandise, while also coming under criticism from gay rights groups for insufficient support for the community after the companies relented under pressure from conservatives.
U.S. retailer Target was forced to pull some Pride merchandise off shelves after confrontations between some shoppers and store workers, while Anheuser-Busch InBev’s efforts to market to the transgender community have led to a steep drop in sales of its Bud Light beer in recent weeks.
Starbucks also faces hundreds of complaints, accusing it of illegal labor practices such as firing union supporters and shutting stores during labor campaigns, at a time when workers at over 300 U.S. stores have voted to unionize since late 2021.
Starbucks Workers United said on Friday the company’s Seattle Roastery – located just nine blocks from Starbucks’ first ever store at the Pike Place Market – was kicking off the nationwide strike, dubbed “Strike with Pride”.
The strike comes ahead of a big weekend for U.S. Pride Month celebrations, with Pride Parades set to take place on Sunday in several major cities including New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Chicago.
(Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Anil D’Silva)
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