Starbucks workers in Massachusetts cannot decorate their stores for Pride as they’ve done in years past, according to the Boston Globe, which reports:
Pride month has always been a big deal at Starbucks, with employees across the country putting up rainbow flags and multicolored lights to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community.
But this year, Starbucks workers say these displays have been severely curtailed. In central Massachusetts, employees at about a dozen stores were told they could decorate their stores for one day — provided a parade or another community celebration was taking place — and only if it was approved by the regional director, according to the union organizing the coffee chain’s workers. Otherwise, workers are restricted to putting up Pride symbols in employee-only areas.
In lieu of displaying a rainbow flag, workers are being allowed to wear the same color on the same day to resemble a sort of deconstructed flag, the union said.
Elsewhere in Massachusetts, workers were told there weren’t enough “labor hours” for baristas to decorate, according to the union. In Danbury, Conn., a Pride flag was taken down the day after it went up, employees said, because they were told the store is in an area that is “realigning,” and only official Starbucks-approved decor can be used.
Starbucks said there has been no change to company policy and encourages store managers to display support for different “heritage months.” The company said it is investigating isolated incidents to make sure all stores are following this guidance.
Read the complete Boston Globe story here.
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