As Starbucks continues to clash with the SBWorkers United union, the latest scuffle is over allegations that the Seattle-based coffee chain is preventing employees from putting up Pride Month decorations in certain stores – an accusation that Starbucks has vehemently denied. Now, as 3,000+ workers go on strike over these concerns, alongside accusations of union-busting and demands to negotiate union contracts, Starbucks is stepping in with promises of “clearer centralized guidelines” for in-store displays and decorations.
In a letter to employees, Sara Trilling, executive vice president and president of Starbucks North America, reiterated that “there has been no change to any of our policies as it relates to inclusive in-store environments.”
“To further underscore this, we intend to issue clearer centralized guidelines, and leveraging resources like the Period Planning Kit (PPK) and Siren's Eye, for in-store visual displays and decorations that will continue to represent inclusivity and our brand,” the letter continues. “Additionally, we will continue to provide the flexibility needed so that our stores reflect the communities they serve. As we reaffirm our previous commitments and standards, it will be even clearer to all who we are and what we stand for.”
Resources like Siren’s Eye are given to employees to be able to decorate and arrange the store on a daily, weekly or periodic basis based on company setup guidelines, current specials, etc. Trilling is implying that there will soon be extra resources available to guide store visual displays and decorations.
To further underscore this commitment, Starbucks posted an article the next day curating images of Starbucks baristas marching in and attending Pride parades around the country.
However, according to Starbucks workers that are currently on strike, they were allegedly told by corporate that individual Pride decorations would not be allowed moving forward “to create consistency from store to store.”
This is not the first time that Starbucks workers have clashed with corporate over visual representation of social issues in stores. In 2020, an internal memo leaked that showed store guidelines banning baristas from wearing Black Lives Matter gear. After a backlash, Starbucks walked back the ban and began allowing baristas to wear Black Lives Matter pins and t-shirts again.
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