Starbucks workers in the chain’s largest union are objecting to the company’s new dress code for baristas.
Starbucks Workers United said in a post on Tuesday that baristas around the US are protesting the chain’s implementation of a standard dress code this week.
“Across the country, union baristas are walking out and pushing back on Starbucks’s illegally implemented policy change. Workers shouldn’t need to spend money out-of-pocket to replace perfectly good shirts, pants, and shoes when we’re already struggling to get by,” the union said in the post.
The union’s website says that it represents more than 11,000 workers and more than 570 stores nationwide.
On April 14, Starbucks announced a standard dress code that all baristas must adhere to — a solid-color black shirt paired with bottoms that were either black, blue denim, or khaki.
The dress code, which went into effect on Monday, is meant to “allow our iconic green apron to shine and create a sense of familiarity for our customers,” the company wrote in the announcement.
Starbucks would provide each barista two free shirts as part of the change, it said.
But baristas BI spoke with said they thought the dress code would result in superfluous spending on their end, and two shirts were not enough for those who work multiple shifts in a week, and they would have to shell out money to buy clothing.
The workers’ union also said Starbucks should focus on correcting operational problems like understaffing rather than enforcing a dress code.
Starbucks used to have a strict black and white dress code, which it relaxed in 2016 when it allowed baristas to wear shirts of different colors, paired with dark-wash jeans.
The new dress code comes as Starbucks struggles to pull itself out of the red, reporting five consecutive quarters of revenue declines.
CEO Brian Niccol has set up a game plan, which he dubbed “Back to Starbucks,” to boost sales, attract customers to the cafés, and fix problems like long wait times.
This included implementing a new mobile ordering system, slimming down the menu, and personalizing coffee cups with handwritten memos from baristas.
Representatives for Starbucks and Starbucks Workers United did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
