Employees at more than than 150 unionized Starbucks stores announced Friday morning they’re striking over a dispute with the coffee giant about LGBTQ Pride decorations and other labor practices their union says are unfair.

The strike includes about 3,500 workers and will last through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, the union Starbucks Workers United wrote in a letter to corporate leaders.

The unions argue that Starbucks illegally ordered stores to “alter or terminate store Pride policies without negotiating with our union” after companies such as Bud Light, Disney and Target faced backlash for voicing support for the LGBTQ community or selling Pride merchandise.

The strike organizers also charged that Starbucks is not recognizing the Pike Street Roastery union in Seattle, which Workers United represents, as a certified union and refusing to negotiate a labor contract with it. 

Starbucks on Friday accused Workers United of spreading misinformation about its benefits, policies and negotiation efforts, “a tactic used to seemingly divide our partners and deflect from their failure to respond to bargaining sessions for more than 200 stores.”

In a post on its website last week, Starbucks insisted it has not changed company policies or guidance related to Pride Month celebrations. 

“We continue to encourage our store leaders to celebrate the diversity of our partners and customers within their communities, including for Pride Month,” the company said. 

“Our store leaders are each empowered to decorate their stores for heritage months, including Pride Month, within the framework of our established store safety guidelines.”

Starbucks added that it has “ a rich history of advocacy and support for our LGBTQIA2+ partners and customers.”

A Buffalo Starbucks location was the first to unionize in early 2022. At least 358 Starbucks stores have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to hold union elections, but those efforts have slowed in recent months with pushback from some workers who have resisted organization efforts.

Workers United says that store managers around the country have curtailed or removed displays during a monthlong celebration of LGBTQ+ people. In some cases, the union said, managers told workers that Pride displays were a safety concern, citing recent incidents at Target, where some angry customers tipped over merchandise and confronted workers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.