Labor unions representing hundreds of Starbucks stores said this week workers in 21 states had been told by managers not to put up decorations for Pride Month, the annual LGBTQ celebration, although the company said this was a local matter. It was an “unusual” decision by the leaders of corporate policy.
But even in the New York City area, which is almost synonymous with pride, the traditional display of rainbows, if at all, has been muted compared to years past. In Manhattan, several Starbucks locations in Chelsea and Greenwich Village, including one just one block from the Stonewall Inn, a landmark of gay culture and history, were devoid of Pride decorations. A flag was found at a store in Uptown Hell’s Kitchen.
Starbucks employees in states such as Wisconsin, Ohio and Virginia asked store and district managers to remove existing decorations such as flags and banners in interviews arranged through unions. said they were told they would not be allowed to do so. Unlike previous years, we will be decorating our stores for Pride Month.
Workers said the reasons given were varied.
A worker was told that there was not enough paid time available for work. Another respondent said decoration choices need to be standardized across regions. One partner, who at Starbucks refers to an employee, was told by a manager that holding up a rainbow flag might make customers uncomfortable. Others said they were told that if they hoisted the Pride flag, the store might be asked to represent other stores as well, including the far-right hate group Proud Boys. Some executives also raised safety concerns.
Starbucks Workers United, which is working to unionize its stores across the country, says the company has failed to show support for LGBTQ workers at a time when conservative politicians are pushing legislation aimed at communities. criticized. Unions and their members have accused the company of using intimidation tactics during contract negotiations to make employees feel uncomfortable at work.
After unions criticized Starbucks on Tuesday, the company sent a memo to business and retail leaders in North America saying that Pride decorations in stores are not prohibited. However, several managers interviewed by The New York Times said they had not received the communication.
“You know this is a welcoming place when you see the big pride flags in the windows,” said Ian Miller, a transgender employee who has worked at Starbucks in Olney, Maryland, for four years. “I don’t understand why people are suddenly making a big fuss about this in mid-June.”
In recent years, Mr. Miller has been encouraged to decorate his store for pride. This year, his manager suggested that hoisting the Pride flag might mean the store must be hoisted with a Confederate flag if requested.
Starbucks spokesman Andrew Trull said in an interview Wednesday that the example described by Starbucks Workers United was “an outlier rather than the norm.”
Local store leaders determine store appearances, according to company policies, including safety rules that prohibit hanging items from windows in a way that prevents employees behind the counter from looking out, Turul said. He said he has discretion. . Stores may also face restrictions on rental agreements, he said.
Trull said Starbucks has not received credible threats against LGBTQ staff or stores.
Mr. Trull said Starbucks had previously offered pride pins and flares for employees to wear, but it was inconsistent. There were no pin distributions this year. Pride-themed cups and tumblers It is available at stores that sell the product.
“If you go to most Starbucks stores nationwide, you’ll find our partners celebrating the LGBTQ community in different ways,” Trull said. “Having the Pride Flag in our stores is just one of the many ways Starbucks supports and helps the LGBTQ community.”
Trull, who is gay, said he felt “seen and valued” as an employee.
“I think it’s a little reductive to boil down the LGBTQ support Starbucks offers to a declaration placed in-store,” he added.
But for some Starbucks employees across the country, an entirely different experience seems to be unfolding.
Ray Schmidt, 32, said about six to eight weeks ago a manager in Strongsville, Ohio, told employees to remove the pride flag that had been on the wall for at least a year. “
Since then, shift supervisor Schmidt, who has helped organize unions at the store, said: “At Starbucks, we don’t even know it’s Pride Month. It’s an anomaly in our store. Probably 80. There will be ~90% of employees.” Some of the people working there are LGBTQ.”
The scrutiny of Pride decorations at Starbucks stores follows a series of similar controversies at some of the country’s most high-profile companies. Beer brand Bud Light has been dealing with the impact of social media promotions involving transgender influencers for months.Target, one of the nation’s largest retailers, said it had moved Pride displays at some stores after employees finished work. I was threatened.
The backlash against inclusive marketing comes amid a flurry of legislation aimed at rolling back LGBTQ rights.
Starbucks emphasizes supporting community for decades It included workplace policies, donations, and Supreme Court briefs supporting same-sex marriage and the civil rights of LGBTQ workers. In 2022, Starbucks earned the highest rating in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, which evaluates companies for LGBTQ equity based on benefits, policies and culture.
The company’s inclusive policy is one of the reasons many people seek a job there.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever been surrounded by the queer community,” said Magyn Martin, who worked at Starbucks for nearly two years and was told not to fly a Pride flag at a cafe in Richmond, Virginia.
For about a month, employees hoisted pride flags, rainbow paper chains and rainbow lights inside a Starbucks store in Madison, Wisconsin. But on Sunday, the district manager visited “to make sure everything was up to standard,” said Matt Cartwright, the store’s shift supervisor.
Flags and other decorations have been removed.
“Our transgender and queer partners say, ‘Your flag is a way to show that we respect and recognize you, but it might be offensive to people who want to buy coffee.’ How is it fair?” Cartwright said.
Jordyn Holman Contributed to the report.
