The Starbucks baristas' strike, triggered by discontent over the company's recently implemented dress code, escalated on Thursday.

Starbucks Workers United, a union representing the coffee chain's U.S. employees, reports that over 2,000 baristas across 120 American stores have initiated strike action since Sunday, citing grievances over the recently implemented dress code.

Effective Monday, Starbucks implemented revised dress code stipulations, restricting baristas' attire beneath the signature green apron to solid black shirts paired with khaki, black, or dark-wash denim bottoms, applicable to employees at both company-operated and licensed locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

The former dress code permitted baristas greater latitude in their choice of dark hues and patterned tops; however, Starbucks contends that the revised regulations will accentuate their signature green aprons, fostering a unified brand identity for customers and cultivating a more inviting atmosphere within their establishments.

However, Starbucks Workers United, the union representing employees at 570 of Starbucks’ 10,000 company-operated stores in the U.S., has asserted that the dress code should be a matter for collective bargaining.

Paige Summers, a Starbucks shift supervisor from Hanover, Maryland, asserted that the company has become misguided, prioritizing inconsequential matters such as a stringent new dress code over the concerns of the baristas who constitute the core of the Starbucks experience, adding, "Customers are hardly preoccupied with our attire when faced with protracted wait times for a latte."

Summers et al. further censured the corporation for merchandising discontinued Starbucks-branded apparel on an internal platform, items which employees were subsequently barred from wearing under the revised dress code, a policy introduced with the provision of two complimentary black T-shirts per employee.

The Starbucks Workers Union announced Wednesday that approximately 1,000 employees had participated in coordinated walkouts across 75 U.S. locations, while Starbucks maintained that the industrial action had a negligible impact on its operations across its 10,000 company-operated stores nationwide, adding that some affected locations experienced closures lasting under an hour.

Starbucks asserted in a statement that the union's energy would be better directed toward resuming negotiations rather than staging protests such as wearing black shirts to work, further noting that over 99% of their stores remain open and operational, serving customers consistently throughout the week.

A diverse range of opinions regarding the dress code were voiced by Associated Press readers, with some arguing that Starbucks baristas' complaints were unwarranted, citing similar dress requirements in numerous retail settings, while others contended that Starbucks should prioritize beverage quality, pricing, and employee well-being over strict sartorial regulations.

Maddie Mucklow, a Starbucks store manager in Seattle, voiced her support for the newly implemented regulations.

Mucklow conceded that the revised dress code presented an initial challenge for her store's associates, but maintained that it ultimately fostered a more cohesive framework for professional presentation, whilst still permitting individual expression.

Since 2021, Starbucks Workers United has been engaged in a campaign to unionize Starbucks stores across the U.S.; however, despite a commitment to resume negotiations in February 2024, a contractual agreement between Starbucks and the union remains elusive.

This week, the union announced it had lodged a formal complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, asserting Starbucks' refusal to negotiate the newly implemented dress code.