Starbucks’s Abortion Promises for Workers Are PR Stunts. We Want a Union Contract.

Starbucks is seeking good PR by offering to cover travel costs for abortion and gender-affirming care for workers like me. But its promises come with caveats and can be revoked. We don’t want flimsy promises — we want these benefits in a union contract.

Economy And Daily Life In Krakow

Starbucks has announced new health care benefits, including travel reimbursement for abortion services and gender-affirming procedures for eligible employees. (Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto via Getty Images)


I used to have recurring nightmares of being pregnant and unable to get an abortion. I remember the sickening feeling of those dreams, trapped in a pregnant body I could not escape. Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, I can’t shake the thought that my nightmare will be the reality for many — not least in my state of Oklahoma, where the governor has signed the nation’s strictest abortion ban.

In the weeks since the Supreme Court decision, I’ve been inspired to stand up to this injustice by organizing to protect not only myself but all vulnerable people, starting in my workplace of Starbucks. In the face of corporate greed and government indifference, our greatest opportunity for defeating tyranny and ensuring true democracy lies in building a strong, unified, and inclusive labor movement.

In response to the court’s ruling, Starbucks announced new health care benefits, including travel reimbursement for abortion services and gender-affirming procedures for eligible employees. But the announcement was a double-edged sword. Amid a massive wave of Starbucks unionization, the company’s update also noted that “Starbucks cannot make promises or guarantees about any benefits” for employees of unionized stores. This union-busting tactic prompted Starbucks Workers United to file a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the company of “threatening employees with loss of benefits” for union organizing.

This article is for subscribers only. Please login or subscribe to access our full archives and beautiful print and digital magazine starting at just $3 a month.