The entitled baristas at Starbucks have found yet another reason to whine about their jobs. Over 2,000 workers decided to walk off their jobs this week, and the reason is completely absurd.
So what is the coffee giant's egregious offense? Implementing a dress code that requires employees to wear solid black shirts and khaki, black, or blue denim pants. Even more insulting, Starbucks is giving employees two company-branded shirts for free. So much hate. But that's not good enough for these perpetually aggrieved "partners," as Starbucks calls them. These are the same people who want $25 an hour to misspell your name on a coffee cup, and they feel oppressed for being asked to wear professional attire.
"We're not just angry over a shirt color," the union wrote in a Bluesky post, before launching into a laundry list of complaints that sound more like a socialist manifesto than legitimate workplace grievances. “Starbucks is a MASSIVE company without focus. They refuse to staff our stores properly, give guaranteed hours to workers, pay us a living wage, or provide stipends to pay for this arbitrary dress code. We need fair union contracts NOW."
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Seriously? You're staging a walkout over wearing black shirts while claiming that it's about "living wages" and "guaranteed hours"? It’s a low-skilled job that actually pays well and gives its employees some serious benefits. I know; I used to work for Starbucks roughly 25 years ago. Sure, things have changed since then, but it was a sweet job — especially if you’re a coffee addict like I am.
This isn't about dress codes. This is about a union desperately trying to stay relevant after failing to secure a contract since February 2023. They're using black shirts as an excuse to throw a public tantrum, hoping to pressure Starbucks into caving to their increasingly ridiculous demands. If your biggest complaint about your job is having to wear a uniform, the real world is going to be a horrible, horrible place for you.
One anonymous barista whined that wearing black “doesn’t make the customer experience any better.” You know what else doesn’t improve the customer experience? Entitled employees who treat basic workplace standards like a personal affront. Try finding a food service job that doesn’t require a uniform — good luck. Uniforms are part of the brand, part of the job, and part of showing that you take it seriously. If wearing black is your biggest complaint, maybe the job isn’t the problem.
Naturally, Starbucks pointed out that "more than 99% of their stores are open today serving customers," which proves that most employees understand that this is just another manufactured crisis by union activists. The company even suggested that the union might make more progress if they "put the same effort into coming back to the table that they're putting into protesting wearing black shirts to work."
This entire episode is a textbook example of what’s gone wrong with younger generations. The entitlement, the performative outrage — it’s all there. At this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising if these same workers started striking over having to show up on time or, heaven forbid, actually making the drinks that customers order.
Pardon me while I enjoy my Black Rifle coffee.
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