Thursday saw the escalation of a walkout by Starbucks baristas objecting to the corporation's recently implemented dress regulations.

Starbucks Workers United, the union representing the coffee chain's U.S. workforce, reports that over 2,000 baristas across 120 American stores have initiated strike action since Sunday, voicing their discontent with the recently implemented dress code.

Effective Monday, Starbucks has instituted new stipulations regarding apparel permissible beneath baristas' signature green aprons, mandating that employees at both company-operated and licensed establishments throughout the U.S. and Canada adhere to a dress code of solid black tops and trousers or skirts in khaki, black, or blue denim.

The prior 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 and cultivate a cohesive brand identity for patrons, fostering a more inviting and convivial atmosphere within their establishments.

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

Paige Summers, a Starbucks shift supervisor from Hanover, Maryland, contends that the corporation has strayed from its core values, prioritizing superficial concerns such as a stringent new dress code over the input of its baristas, who are instrumental in shaping the Starbucks experience; she further argues that customers are unlikely to be concerned with employee attire when faced with excessive wait times for their orders.

Summers and others also censured the company for offering Starbucks-branded apparel, which employees were previously permitted to wear but are now prohibited from wearing at work, on an internal website; this occurred despite Starbucks' commitment to provide each employee with two complimentary black T-shirts upon the dress code's implementation.

The Starbucks Workers Union announced Wednesday that walkouts involving approximately 1,000 employees had transpired at 75 stores across the U.S., while Starbucks maintained that the labor action had a negligible effect on its 10,000 company-operated locations nationwide, adding that some stores experienced closures lasting under an hour.

Starbucks asserted in a statement that the union's energy would be better channeled into returning to negotiations rather than staging protests, such as wearing black shirts to work, adding that the vast majority of their stores—over 99%—remain open and operational, serving customers throughout the week.

Reader commentary to the Associated Press regarding Starbucks' dress code policy was varied; some posited that baristas' complaints were unsubstantiated, given the prevalence of dress codes in the retail sector, while others contended that Starbucks should prioritise beverage quality and pricing, alongside employee satisfaction, over sartorial regulations.

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

Mucklow conceded that the revised dress code presented initial challenges for her store's associates, but asserted it ultimately fostered a more cohesive and mutually respectful environment, enabling individual expression within clearly defined parameters.

Since 2021, Starbucks Workers United has been spearheading unionization efforts across U.S. Starbucks locations, yet despite a commitment to resume negotiations in February 2024, a ratified contract agreement remains elusive.

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