Workers United filed a complaint with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board alleging that Starbucks’ dress-code changes during contract talks violate the law and show the company wasn’t negotiating fairly.
The dress code also “materially differed” from a tentative agreement the two parties had reached during negotiations, according to a copy of the complaint. Starbucks said it would continue to bargain and ensure that differences between what’s agreed to in negotiations and what’s implemented in stores are addressed “lawfully and fairly.”
Baristas argue that the dress code won’t improve operations or make their jobs easier, union delegate Michelle Eisen said in a statement from Workers United. Starbucks is trying to reverse five straight quarters of same-store sales declines.
“This policy change puts the burden on baristas, many of whom are already struggling to get by, to buy new clothes or risk being disciplined,” Eisen said. The company has said it would provide two Starbucks-branded shirts free of charge but couldn’t guarantee they would arrive by May 12, when the new dress code went into effect.
In a statement, Starbucks said that “thousands” of workers showed up to work ready to serve customers, adding that the biggest update to dress code is “simple: wear a black shirt — either your own or one we provide.”
“While Workers United, which represents less than 5% of our workforce, attempted to create disruption in a handful of stores, we’re focused on providing the best job in retail with a wage and benefits package that averages more than $30 per hour for hourly partners,” Starbucks said in a statement. It called on the union to return to negotiations in order “to finalize a reasonable contract.”
The two sides have been meeting over the past year to try to come up with a template for collective bargaining agreements at the locations that Workers United has organized since 2021.
