Starbucks Baristas Strike Over Dress Code; More Walkouts Loom

Hundreds of Starbucks Corp. employees have walked off the job to protest the company’s new dress code, with more strikes likely in the coming days, Daniela Sirtori reported for Bloomberg News.

Starbucks has implemented a new dress code requiring employees to wear solid black tops—replacing the previous policy, which allowed any color. I Photo: SBWorkersUnited Facebook

The walkouts have occurred at more than 50 U.S. stores, according to Starbucks Workers United, which represents baristas at about 570 of the company’s 10,000-plus corporate-owned locations.

Starbucks said there’s been no significant impact on nationwide operations and most stores remain open.

Earlier in the week, the company implemented a new dress code requiring employees to wear solid black tops—replacing the previous policy, which allowed any color.

New rules also restrict which bottoms baristas can wear.

Workers United filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), alleging the changes were made during contract negotiations and constitute unfair labor practices, as also reported by Josh Eidelson of Bloomberg.