Portland-Area Starbucks Workers Join a Nationwide Strike Today
Last Friday, June 30, employees of Starbucks in the Portland region united with Strike With Pride, a week-long strike organized by Starbucks Workers United across the nation. The strike aims to compel the company's management to engage in fair negotiations for a satisfactory contract with unionized branches and to tackle the continuous problem of anti-LGBTQ policy revisions. Starbucks workers from various locations in the country have claimed that their management has forbidden them from exhibiting Pride symbols and has actively engaged in tactics intended to suppress the union, which disproportionately affects LGBTQ employees.
Starbucks Workers United claims that the coffee giant engages in performative support for LGBTQIA+ employees by using them as mere tokens to gain positive publicity and increase profits. Despite this, the company consistently denies workers the right to display Pride decorations in numerous Starbucks locations nationwide. According to the union's statement, in Massachusetts, some employees were informed that they couldn't adorn the stores due to insufficient labor hours allocated for partner participation. Similarly, in Georgia, workers were informed that safety concerns prohibited them from using ladders to decorate for Pride, as it deviated from the company's established "Siren Core Pattern."
Starbucks has provided a response to Eater Portland, refuting claims that they have removed any Pride merchandise from their stores. They further clarify that their corporate policies concerning Pride Month have not been modified. The statement states, "We persist in urging our store leaders to partake in celebrations alongside their communities, including the upcoming U.S. Pride month in June, just as we have always done."
Moreover, in an Oklahoma Starbucks, labor union members lodged a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board due to issues regarding healthcare accessibility. These union members alleged that the management had intimidated employees by indicating that they would lose certain benefits, including gender-affirming healthcare for transgender individuals, if they voted to have union representation. In response to these claims, a spokesperson from Starbucks stated to Eater Portland that all partners who are part of a Starbucks health plan can avail themselves of top-notch gender-affirming healthcare benefits, irrespective of their involvement in organizing activities or their representation status.
In the spring of 2022, the first four Starbucks stores in Portland made the decision to unionize. Since then, more than 15 other stores in the area have followed suit. However, employees at these locations have encountered significant obstacles during the process. In 2022, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) determined that Starbucks was not engaging in collective bargaining at its unionized stores in Portland and Seattle. In response to the growing momentum for unionization in the region, Starbucks announced the closure of its downtown location in Portland in May. According to Starbucks, the local union has only agreed to 15% of the 72 bargaining sessions proposed by the company for its stores in Oregon and Washington. Starbucks' spokesperson stated that the company is willing to negotiate a contract for the organized stores.
The strike movement started at Starbucks' main roastery in Seattle on June 23. Over 150 Starbucks establishments across the nation are taking part in the strike. In the Portland region, protests will be carried out today at various locations including Cedar Hills Crossing, Pioneer Courthouse Square, Northeast Grand Avenue, Northeast Lloyd Boulevard, Oregon Trail Center, and Heritage Place. The initial protests commenced at 6 a.m. and are expected to last throughout the afternoon.
