A Starbucks barista strike, protesting the company's new dress code, gained momentum on Thursday.

Over 2,000 Starbucks baristas in 120 US stores have been on strike since Sunday, protesting a new dress code, according to Starbucks Workers United, a union representing the coffee chain's American employees.

From Monday, Starbucks is introducing new rules about what staff can wear under their green aprons. The dress code now requires employees in company-owned and licensed stores in the US and Canada to wear plain black shirts, and trousers in chino, black denim, or blue denim.

The old dress code allowed bartenders to wear more dark colors and patterned shirts. Starbucks says the new rules will highlight their green aprons and create a consistent look for customers, aiming for a friendlier atmosphere in their stores.

However, Starbucks Workers United, the union representing workers in 570 out of 10,000 Starbucks-owned stores in the US, believes the dress code should be negotiated with the union.

Paige Summers, a Starbucks supervisor in Hanover, Maryland, stated that Starbucks has lost its focus. She believes the company is concentrating on unimportant issues, such as a new, strict dress code, instead of listening to the baristas who create the Starbucks experience. She added that customers don't care about employees' clothing colour when they are waiting 30 minutes for a latte.

Summers and others have also criticised the company for selling Starbucks-branded clothing on an internal website, which employees are no longer allowed to wear at work. Starbucks announced they would give each employee two free black T-shirts when they announced the new dress code.

Mercoledì, il sindacato dei lavoratori di Starbucks ha annunciato che circa 1.000 dipendenti avevano partecipato a proteste in 75 negozi negli Stati Uniti. Starbucks ha risposto che, per ora, lo sciopero non ha avuto conseguenze importanti sui suoi 10.000 negozi americani gestiti direttamente, aggiungendo che in certi casi le proteste hanno causato chiusure inferiori a un'ora.

"Starbucks ha dichiarato in un comunicato che sarebbe meglio se il sindacato si impegnasse a riprendere le negoziazioni invece di protestare indossando magliette nere al lavoro, aggiungendo che oltre il 99% dei loro negozi sono aperti e servono i clienti, come hanno fatto per tutta la settimana."

Readers of the Associated Press shared different opinions about the dress code. Some said Starbucks baristas shouldn't complain, as many stores have dress rules for staff. Others felt Starbucks should focus on better drinks, prices, and worker well-being, instead of employees' clothing.

Maddie Mucklow, che dirige uno Starbucks a Seattle, ha detto di essere d'accordo con le nuove regole.

"Onestamente, credo che il nuovo regolamento sull'abbigliamento abbia creato delle difficoltà per i dipendenti del mio negozio," ha detto Mucklow. "Tuttavia, questo regolamento ci offre linee guida più chiare su come presentarci al meglio, pur permettendoci di esprimere la nostra personalità."

Since 2021, Starbucks Workers United has been trying to create unions in Starbucks stores across the US. Although they agreed to negotiate again in February 2024, Starbucks and the union haven't yet reached a contract agreement.

This week, the union announced it has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming Starbucks has not started negotiations about the new dress code.