More than 1,000 baristas at Starbucks in the United States have gone on strike in protest of new dress codes.
According to local media, including the Associated Press, the Starbucks union in the U.S. reported that over 1,000 baristas at 75 stores have been on strike since the 11th.
The reason is as follows. Starbucks established a new dress code for employees working in company-owned or licensed stores in the U.S. and Canada, which was implemented on the 12th. The dress code required wearing a solid black shirt and khaki or black or blue denim bottoms under the green apron.
Under the transfer dress code, baristas were allowed to wear not only black but also a variety of other dark shades or patterned shirts under their aprons.
Starbucks explained that the new dress code enhances the visibility of the green apron and creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere in stores, which can provide a friendly experience for customers. Additionally, it noted that it would provide two free black T-shirts to employees.
However, the union representing Starbucks employees, known as the "Starbucks Workers Union," opposed the dress code, stating that it should be subject to collective bargaining. Paige Summers, a shift supervisor at a Starbucks in Hanover, Maryland, said, "Instead of listening to baristas, they're focusing on enforcing a restrictive new dress code that is just wrong. Customers do not care what color our clothes are while waiting 30 minutes for their lattes."
However, Starbucks has clarified that this strike has only a limited impact on its 10,000 stores in the U.S. The union estimated that about 1% of the total workforce participated in the strike. The Starbucks Workers Union includes employees from 570 of the 10,000 stores in the U.S.