Starbucks workers went on strike because they didn't like the new rules about what they had to wear. The strike got bigger on Thursday.

Starbucks workers in the U.S. are on strike because they don't like the new rules about what they have to wear at work. More than 2,000 workers in 120 stores have stopped working since Sunday, says the Starbucks Workers United union.

From Monday, Starbucks has new rules about what its baristas can wear under their green aprons. Now, workers in the U.S. and Canada must wear a plain black shirt and trousers or jeans in khaki, black, or blue.

Before, baristas could wear more dark colors and shirts with patterns. Now, Starbucks says the new rules will help their green aprons stand out. This will also make customers feel like they know what to expect when they visit, so the stores feel more friendly.

Starbucks Workers United, the group that speaks for workers in 570 of Starbucks' own shops in the U.S., said they should talk about the dress code together.

Paige Summers, who works at Starbucks in Maryland, said that Starbucks is making mistakes. She thinks they are not listening to the people who make the drinks. Instead, they care about things that are not important, like telling workers what clothes to wear. She also said customers don't mind what color clothes the workers have if they have to wait a long time for their coffee.

Some people said the company was wrong to sell Starbucks clothes that employees can't wear to work anymore on its website. Starbucks said they would give each worker two free black T-shirts when they told everyone about the new rules for clothing.

On Wednesday, the Starbucks workers' union said that 1,000 workers had stopped working for a short time in 75 shops in the U.S. Starbucks said that the strike didn't cause big problems in its 10,000 shops in the U.S. They also said that some shops closed for less than one hour because of the strikes.

Starbucks said it would be better if the union tried to talk to them instead of protesting by wearing black shirts. They also said that most of their stores (more than 99%) are open and serving customers.

People who read the Associated Press and gave their opinions had different ideas about the dress code. Some said that Starbucks workers shouldn't complain, because many shops tell their workers how to dress. Others said that Starbucks should try to make their drinks better and cheaper, and keep their workers happy, instead of focusing on what they wear.

Maddie Mucklow works at a Starbucks in Seattle. She likes the new rules.

Mucklow said that the new dress code was hard for some people in the store. But it helps everyone know how to dress well and be themselves.

Since 2021, workers at Starbucks in the U.S. have been joining a union called Starbucks Workers United. Starbucks and the union haven't made an agreement yet, even though they said they would talk again in February 2024.

This week, the union said they complained to the National Labor Relations Board because Starbucks didn't talk about the new dress code.