When it comes to providing trans-inclusive health care for employees, Starbucks has been (surprisingly) ahead of the curve for several years. But now, some trans employees at the coffee chain claim the company is threatening to take away gender-affirming health care if they vote to unionize, per Bloomberg.
According to a new complaint filed with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board by the Starbucks Workers United union, managers at several Starbucks franchises around the country have told baristas that their health care benefits would be taken away if they vote pro-union. The revoked benefits would include gender-affirming surgeries, facial feminization, and breast reduction, among other procedures for trans employees, according to Bloomberg. Neha Cremin, a Starbucks employee in Oklahoma, told Bloomberg that her manager had specifically emphasized the potential loss of her trans health care during a conversation about unionizing, which Cremin felt was a “veiled threat.”
