Index Investing News
Sunday, May 25, 2025
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
Index Investing News
No Result
View All Result

Starbucks strike over Pride decor follows LGBTQ anger on hours, benefits By Reuters

by Index Investing News
June 26, 2023
in Financial
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
0
Home Financial
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


5/5

© Reuters. Starbucks workers attend a protest as part of a collective action over a Pride decor dispute, outside a Starbucks shop in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., June 25, 2023. REUTERS/David Dee Delgado

2/5

By Hilary Russ and Caroline Valetkevitch

(Reuters) – Workers at dozens of U.S. Starbucks (NASDAQ:) locations held strikes on Sunday to express their outrage over accusations by the baristas’ union that managers at several U.S. cafes removed rainbow flags and decorations supporting LGBTQ+ Pride month.

About a dozen Starbucks workers picketed outside New York’s Astor Place location in lower Manhattan on Sunday afternoon near the route of the city’s Pride parade, chanting: “New York is a union town! On strike! Shut it down!”

Union members handed out flyers and talked to passersby about the action, while several customers chose not to enter in support of the strike.

With Pride marches underway in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago and Starbucks’ hometown Seattle, some baristas and other workers at the coffee chain said they were angered by the dispute.

A spokesperson said on Sunday that “we unwaveringly support the LGBTQIA2+ community. It would be inaccurate to report that Starbucks stores are banning any decorations as there has been no change to company policy on this matter.” 

“We remain deeply concerned by false information being spread about our inclusive store environments, our company culture and the benefits we offer our partners,” the spokesperson said.

Though the conflict is gaining attention now, it began brewing a year ago, when the Workers United union said the company threatened union organizers – many of whom say they are queer or trans – with reduced hours that would leave them unable to qualify for health insurance, which covers gender reassignment surgery and other affirming procedures.

Starbucks has denied that it changed the coverage, calling the accusations “false claims” in a June 14 letter to Workers United International President Lynne Fox and seen by Reuters.

The company’s health insurance has covered gender confirmation surgery since 2012. In 2018, it also began covering treatment that other plans consider “cosmetic,” including breast augmentation, hair transplants and facial feminization.

The coffee chain also denied that it had banned Pride decorations, calling the allegation “blatant fear mongering” by the union, according to the letter.

Starbucks spent decades building its reputation as a progressive company that supports LGBTQ+ workers and customers. In 1988, it began offering hard-to-find perks such as health insurance for same-sex domestic partners. Later, it entered the legal fray at the U.S. Supreme Court in support of marriage equality.

“Once we decided to unionize, they were like, we’ve had enough of this progressive stuff,” said Jackie Zhou, 21, a shift supervisor at a New York City Starbucks at Astor Place, where workers held a strike on Sunday.

Maggie McKeon, who was headed into the Starbucks at Astor Place, turned around after learning about the strike.

“If people are going to be affected by this, then I’m with them,” not the company, McKeon said.

Since late 2022, Starbucks has been in bargaining talks with some of the more than 300 unionized company-owned U.S. locations.

Pro-union baristas have asked Starbucks for stronger protections from discrimination, among other proposals.

So far, none of the newly unionized U.S. cafes has struck a deal with the company for a labor contract.

CHANGE OF TUNE

In 2020, then-Starbucks employee Arthur Pratt drew a version of the chain’s siren logo with flowing rainbow hair to celebrate Pride. The company shared the image nationwide and even posted it on Instagram, Pratt told the Seattle Gay News.

But in November, Pratt, a trans man, was fired in what the union says was retaliation for supporting the organizing drive at his Portland, Oregon location.

This year, he made a new poster ahead of Pride month that called out the company, reading, “You can’t say you’re pro-queer and be anti-union!”

Still, the Human Rights Campaign, which rates corporations on how equitable their polices and benefits are for LGBTQ+ employees, gave Starbucks a perfect score for 2022, along with more than 800 other companies.

HRC did not return requests for comment.

But as union organizing heated up last year, more employees said their schedules became erratic and their time was often cut below the 20 hours per week they needed to qualify for health insurance.

The union’s allegation is one of hundreds of complaints it has filed with the National Labor Relations Board.

Sam Cornetta, a barista at the Farmingville, New York, Starbucks, who joined coworkers on strike at Astor Place on Sunday, said the company was alienating LGBTQ+ workers.

“They’ve used their claim to be a progressive, inclusive company to kind of attract those kinds of people,” Cornetta, 23, said. “There’s a performative aspect.”



Source link

Tags: angerBenefitsDecorhoursLGBTQPrideReutersStarbucksstrike
ShareTweetShareShare
Previous Post

Heroic IRS whistleblower testimony ensnarls Hunter and Joe Biden in bribery scheme

Next Post

Outdated rainfall models put billions in new infrastructure at risk

Related Posts

COVID-19 Information: Most instances in TN, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra delicate, underneath house care, say sources

COVID-19 Information: Most instances in TN, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra delicate, underneath house care, say sources

by Index Investing News
May 25, 2025
0

After the detection of COVID-19 instances in few southern and western states, the Union Well being Secretary was realized to...

Musk Vows to be ‘Tremendous Centered’ on Corporations Amid X Outages

Musk Vows to be ‘Tremendous Centered’ on Corporations Amid X Outages

by Index Investing News
May 24, 2025
0

Billionaire Elon Musk stated he must be “tremendous targeted” on his corporations, pointing to points at X as proof of...

Dow Jones, S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite: Bond tantrums put Trump on discover, once more

Dow Jones, S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite: Bond tantrums put Trump on discover, once more

by Index Investing News
May 24, 2025
0

US President Donald Trump | Picture Credit score: Eduardo Munoz Was US President Donald Trump’s U-turn to escalate the commerce...

Reasonably bullish exercise in AMC Leisure with shares down 0.46%

Reasonably bullish exercise in AMC Leisure with shares down 0.46%

by Index Investing News
May 24, 2025
0

Reasonably bullish exercise in AMC Leisure (AMC), with shares down 2c close to $3.23.Choices quantity almost triple the day by...

Aegis Vopak Terminals IPO: Firm raises Rs 1,260 crore from Nomura, Aberdeen 30 different anchor buyers

Aegis Vopak Terminals IPO: Firm raises Rs 1,260 crore from Nomura, Aberdeen 30 different anchor buyers

by Index Investing News
May 24, 2025
0

Storage options supplier Aegis Vopak Terminals has raised Rs 1,260 crore crore from 32 anchor buyers, allocating over 5.36 crore...

Next Post
Outdated rainfall models put billions in new infrastructure at risk

Outdated rainfall models put billions in new infrastructure at risk

How This Teacher Squashed K in Credit Card Debt and Hit Coast FI by 32

How This Teacher Squashed $20K in Credit Card Debt and Hit Coast FI by 32

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECOMMENDED

Motley Fool Review; July 2023

Motley Fool Review; July 2023

August 1, 2023
Broncos HC Hackett chooses 64-yard FG try on 4th-and-5

Broncos HC Hackett chooses 64-yard FG try on 4th-and-5

September 13, 2022
Fringe of Charge Cuts: How We Acquired Right here

Fringe of Charge Cuts: How We Acquired Right here

August 26, 2024
Small and medium business priorities for 2023: Gearing up for a year when anything can happen

Small and medium business priorities for 2023: Gearing up for a year when anything can happen

December 19, 2022
FBI weaponization exposed, COVID ‘experts’ must admit they were wrong and other commentary

FBI weaponization exposed, COVID ‘experts’ must admit they were wrong and other commentary

February 6, 2023
Follow the Forward Arrow – Econlib

Follow the Forward Arrow – Econlib

July 29, 2023
Bitcoin briefly drops to its lowest level in 3 months as risk assets continue to get crushed

Bitcoin briefly drops to its lowest level in 3 months as risk assets continue to get crushed

September 19, 2022
New Jersey Workplace Constructing Modifications Arms

New Jersey Workplace Constructing Modifications Arms

October 16, 2024
Index Investing News

Get the latest news and follow the coverage of Investing, World News, Stocks, Market Analysis, Business & Financial News, and more from the top trusted sources.

  • 1717575246.7
  • Browse the latest news about investing and more
  • Contact us
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • DMCA
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • xtw18387b488

Copyright © 2022 - Index Investing News.
Index Investing News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion

Copyright © 2022 - Index Investing News.
Index Investing News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In