More than 1,000 Starbucks baristas go on strike to protest new dress code

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By DEE-ANN DURBIN
Updated 1:22 PM CDT, May 14, 2025

More than 1,000 Starbucks baristas at 75 U.S. stores have gone on strike since Sunday to protest a new company dress code, a union representing the coffee giant’s workers said Wednesday.

Starbucks put new limits starting Monday on what its baristas can wear under their green aprons. The dress code requires employees at company-operated and licensed stores in the U.S. and Canada to wear a solid black shirt and khaki, black or blue denim bottoms.

Under the previous dress code, baristas could wear a broader range of dark colors and patterned shirts. Starbucks said the new rules would make its green aprons stand out and create a sense of familiarity for customers as it tries to establish a warmer, more welcoming feeling in its stores.

But Starbucks Workers United, the union that represents workers at 570 of Starbucks’ 10,000 company-owned U.S. stores, said the dress code should be subject to collective bargaining.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-dress-code-baristas-strike-3a39bbf41247d2090afa9b487ccf3d97

[GenThePerservering]

1. If they want to be more 'welcoming'

they need to have their employees look less like they work in an anonymous fast food dump and more like their customers.

What a stupid rule.

[LisaM]

2. I think it's fine if they want to provide a dress allowance.

It's essentially a uniform, so provide a reasonable reimbursement for people having to go out and buy the required clothes.

[LauraInLA]

3. If I recall correctly, the company said it would provide the shirts.

[TygrBright]

4. If they want customers to feel "welcome" they might bring back comfortable seating... n/t

[Pisces]

5. Ridiculous! Companies can have and change dress code. This does not seem out of bounds. My teenage

daughter worked for a movie theater and had to wear black pants with the given shirt?? There are so many valid reasons to protest a company policy I can not see how this is one.

[Omaha Steve]

6. It's not so much the uniforms

This shows how much the union has gained strength since the strikes in December.

[Envirogal]

7. This is frivolous and hurts union reputations.

[Hope22]

8. I doubt that anyone in Az or TX wears black in the summer.

Nice time to break out this announcement!😁🤣

[Pisces]

9. Plenty of black uniforms in the summer. This job is inside not out in the sun

[Hope22]

10. Ok....

Long sleeve black shirt and dark pants would not fly in Ohio in the heat. Plus…uniform is a loose term for the outfit.

[Ms. Toad]

11. They don't have to wear long-sleeved shirts,

And khaki pants are an option. All they are cutting out as to pants are the gray and brown options. All other colors allowed previously are still allowed.

[Botany]

12. Simple solution

If you don’t like Starbucks dress code don’t work @ Starbucks. Btw a neighbor is having
most of her college paid for by her employer, Starbucks.

[Mossfern]

13. This is not horrible

There's less stress in deciding what to wear.
A conflict like Swift's big-endians vs small-endians.

[milestogo]

14. At Target the dress code is red shirt and khaki pants.

But the definition of "red" and "khaki" varies widely.