5,000 signatures reached
To: Starbucks Board of Directors
Tell Starbucks to Stop Silencing Queer Workers!
Starbucks claims to be a company that’s friendly to its LGBTQIA+ workers and the community at large, but the company has been silencing queer, pro-union voices, and engaging in union-busting that leaves it’s LGBTQIA+ workers vulnerable and unprotected. This Pride Month, Starbucks will undoubtedly use language that supports its queer workforce, but will just as surely continue to refuse to meet our needs, while suppressing our voices, and working against our right to unionize!
Across the country, Starbucks has refused to let workers decorate for Pride, and is also taking down Pride flags in stores. This is contrary to previous years when workers were allowed, and even encouraged, to put up Pride decorations without incident. This is why having a union contract is so important. The union allows workers to have rights on the job, that aren’t subject to the corporation’s whims at any moment. We deserve to express ourselves freely, and a union contract is how we do that!
Why is this important?
For Pride Month, companies all over the country will drape themselves in a rainbow flag, while mistreating queer workers. In many ways, Starbucks is the blueprint for this kind of company. Queer workers with Starbucks Workers United want our voices heard, and our union is how we make that happen. Together, we can let Starbucks know that to truly support LGBTQIA+ partners, they need to meet us at the bargaining table, hear what we have to say, and negotiate a contract!