Starbucks issues open letter to partners amid Pride Month controversy
Starbucks is responding to recent news that it prevented Pride Month decor at some of its stores in the United States.
"Starbucks will always protect your right to be who you are, which is why I am writing to you all today," wrote Sara Trilling, executive vice president and president of Starbucks North America.
In an open letter to Starbucks partners, the Seattle-based coffee giant said it's going to issue clearer guidelines about its in-store displays.
"I want to reiterate that there has been no change to any of our policies as it relates to our inclusive store environments, our company culture, and the benefits we offer our partners," Trilling said. "To further underscore this, we intend to issue clearer centralized guidelines, and leveraging resources like the Period Planning Kit (PPK) and Siren's Eye, for in-store visual displays and decorations that will continue to represent inclusivity and our brand. Additionally, we will continue to provide the flexibility needed so that our stores reflect the communities they serve. As we reaffirm our previous commitments and standards, it will be even clearer to all who we are and what we stand for."
The letter was prompted by a controversy reported by Starbucks Workers United, which claimed that partners in 21 states were told they could not decorate their stores for Pride Month for various reasons. Some reasons, reportedly, were that there wasn't enough time, ladders are dangerous, and that there were safety concerns after other stores received pushback for their LGBTQ displays.
Another major retailer, Target, faced a similar issue when it rolled out LGBTQ merchandise for Pride Month, and opted to remove some products and move others to less-prominent displays.
The Starbucks' response comes as a nationwide strike continues to play out against the coffee company. Workers at more than 150 stores — including the Seattle flagship Reserve Roastery — walked off the job Friday. They plan to picket through the week.
Starbucks has denied the claims about the Pride decorations, has previously touted its Pride participation, and is currently selling Pride drinkware from LGBTQ artists. The company says its policy about decorations hasn't changed and it knows of no company operated stores banning them.
Reuters is reporting that Starbucks has filed two complaints with the National Labor Relations Board against the union, accusing it of making misleading claims about its in-store decoration guidelines and gender-affirming care benefits — another issue that workers have cited in their demonstrations.
In response, the union said the national labor board has dismissed every charge brought against them by Starbucks.
