More than 1,000 Starbucks baristas across 75 U.S. stores have gone on strike to protest the company’s new dress code policy.
The strike, organized by Starbucks Workers United, highlights growing tensions between employees and corporate leadership over workplace regulations and union negotiations.
The updated dress code, which took effect on Monday, May 12, 2025, requires baristas to wear solid black shirts and khaki, black, or blue denim bottoms under their green aprons.
Previously, employees had more flexibility, including dark-colored and patterned shirts.
Starbucks Employee Concerns and Union Response
Starbucks Workers United, which represents 570 of the company’s 10,000 company-owned U.S. stores, argues that the dress code changes should be subject to collective bargaining.
The union claims that Starbucks is prioritizing aesthetics over employee concerns, with shift supervisor Paige Summers.
Union stated, “Starbucks has lost its way.
Instead of listening to baristas who make the Starbucks experience what it is, they are focused on all the wrong things, like implementing a restrictive new dress code.”
Employees criticized the company for prohibiting them from wearing branded clothing sold on its internal website at work.
Starbucks’ Justification and Company Response
The company asserts that the dress code update is intended to make the green aprons more prominent.
This change aims to create a stronger sense of familiarity and warmth for customers.
The company also announced that it would provide two free black T-shirts to each employee to ease the transition.
Starbucks reported that the strike has had little effect on its store operations. Less than 1% of its workforce participated in the walkout, minimizing disruptions.
A company spokesperson remarked, “It would be more productive if the union would put the same effort into coming back to the table that they’re putting into protesting wearing black shirts to work.”
Ongoing Unionization Efforts
Starbucks Workers United has been unionizing U.S. stores since 2021, but negotiations with the company have been slow-moving.
The union recently filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming that Starbucks did not engage in negotiations over the new dress code.
It alleges that the company failed to uphold its obligation to bargain with employees on workplace policies.
The company and the union agreed to resume negotiations in February 2024. However, they have yet to reach a final contract agreement.
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