Starbucks union claims dozens of stores aren't allowed to decorate for Pride

Starbucks Workers United said Tuesday that dozens of the java chain's U.S. stores aren't allowing employees to decorate for Pride month.

Starbucks said successful a connection to CNBC that the institution unwaveringly supports the LGBTQ+ assemblage and hasn't changed its policies for store decorations.

"There has been nary alteration to immoderate argumentation connected this substance and we proceed to promote our store leaders to observe with their communities including for U.S. Pride period successful June," the institution said.

A Starbucks spokesperson told CNBC that the company's information and information manual provides wide guidance for stores astir decorations. However, section store leaders and employees person latitude to marque their ain decorating choices wrong those guidelines.

The union's assertion comes arsenic the LGBTQ assemblage faces heightened attacks, ranging from protests to authorities to carnal violence. Republican authorities lawmakers person targeted transgender people's aesculapian attraction and resistance queen's performances. Nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ bills person been introduced successful authorities legislatures this session, according to an ACLU tally. At the aforesaid time, blimpish activists person stoked backlash successful caller months against corporations that person shown their enactment for the LGBTQ community, including Anheuser-Busch InBev, Kohl's and North Face.

Starbucks has agelong had a estimation arsenic a progressive company, bolstered by its past of supporting its LGBTQ workers, including trans baristas. Its wellness benefits extended to same-sex partnerships earlier the United States legalized cheery matrimony successful 2015. Workers person antecedently received buttons and attire celebrating LGBTQ rights. And Starbucks' security has covered sex reassignment country since 2013.

But Starbucks Workers United said that baristas successful astatine slightest 22 states person reported instances wherever territory and store managers person told them they can't decorate for Pride oregon wherever store representatives person taken down Pride flags.

Some Massachusetts workers were told that determination weren't capable labour hours to docket partners to decorate, the national said. And managers told employees successful Maryland that immoderate radical didn't consciousness represented by the "umbrella of pride," according to the labour group.

In Oklahoma, workers were told restrictions connected decorating were retired of a interest for information aft caller attacks astatine Target stores, the national said. In precocious May, Target pulled immoderate of its Pride merchandise, citing threats against its employees. Some of the retailer's locations successful the South besides moved their Pride collections to little disposable areas connected the floor. The Washington Post reported that Target stores successful astatine slightest 5 states were evacuated this play aft weaponry threats.

Oklahoma Starbucks workers were besides prohibited from hanging Pride flags successful store windows. Starbucks argumentation prohibits blocking windows to guarantee that baristas person a wide sightline to the country extracurricular stores.

The clash implicit Pride decorations besides comes arsenic Starbucks continues to conflict its baristas implicit unionization. More than 300 company-owned locations person voted to unionize, but nary stores person signed a corporate bargaining statement with Starbucks yet.

The national has accused Starbucks of delaying negotiations, which the institution denies. Baristas person been trying to usage nationalist unit to bring the java elephantine to the negotiating table.