About 1,000 Starbucks workers walked off the job at 75 locations this week in protest of a new dress code policy, according to the Workers United union.
The rolling, one-day strikes began Sunday and were organized by the union representing baristas at unionized stores. Workers say Starbucks changed its dress code and enforcement rules without negotiating with the union, a move they claim violates labor agreements.
In a complaint filed with federal regulators, Workers United accused Starbucks of undermining the union’s role by making unilateral decisions.
The updated dress code, which took effect this week, requires employees to wear a solid black short- or long-sleeved shirt under the company’s signature green apron. Pants must be black, khaki, blue, or denim.
To ease the transition, Starbucks said it would provide two branded T-shirts to each employee for free.
Despite the walkouts, Starbucks said most of its roughly 10,000 company-owned U.S. stores have not experienced disruptions. The company described the uniform update as a standard business practice and part of ongoing efforts by its new leadership team to revamp operations.
Labor tensions have increased in recent years as more Starbucks locations push to unionize, and the company continues to face criticism from organized labor groups over workplace policies and negotiations.
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