U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky joined protesting workers outside an Evanston Starbucks store Saturday and said that while giant coffee chain paints itself as a progressive employer, “in fact that’s not the case.”

The store, at 519 Main St., is among the roughly 300 Starbucks stores, out of nearly 16,000 nationwide, that are unionized. Employees went on strike last March over labor issues, as well as the larger issue of Starbucks’ refusal to bargain with their union to secure a contract.

“Three hundred Starbucks have organized around the country and they can’t get a contract,” Schakowsky (D-Evanston) added.

The union, Workers United, has reported that managers in some stores across the country have removed flags and decorations supporting LGBTQ+ Pride month.

It also claims that the company has backtracked on health insurance benefits—including coverage of gender-affirming care.

Schakowsky said it doesn’t matter whether anti-LGBTQ+ acts such as removing Pride decorations has been orchestrated by lower-level managers, or by the company’s leadership.

“We expect more from Starbucks…let Starbucks stand up and say we would welcome any kind of visual support of LGBTQ workers…they run the company. They can make sure LGBTQ flags…are allowed in the stores,” she said.

Conner Brennan, who is on the store’s Labor Committee and helped organize the March strike, said the purpose of the strike was “to build pressure on the company to negotiate a contract,” as well as to show solidarity with the company’s LGBTQ+ employees.

He said more Starbucks stores are participating in the current work stoppage, which will continue over the weekend.

He said the Main Street store has been without a manager for two months. The store was closed on Saturday.

Brennan said getting Starbucks to bargain a contract with its union stores “is going to be a long march.” He said the number of unionized stores needs to increase to organize more effective labor actions in the future.