Starbucks to cover abortion travel

SEATTLE: Starbucks Corp is expanding its United States healthcare benefits to cover travel for abortion and genderaffirming procedures.

Employees and their dependants who did not have access to those procedures within 160km of their home could be reimbursed for eligible travel expenses, Starbucks said yesterday in a blog post.

‘‘Like many of you, I’m deeply concerned by the draft Supreme Court opinion related to the constitutional right to abortion that was first established by Roe v Wade,’’ acting executive vicepresident for employee resources Sara Kelly said in the post.

The Seattlebased coffee chain joins a growing list of companies offering to cover travel expenses for workers seeking abortions and other procedures unavailable in their home states.

Starbucks has cultivated its image as a progressive company, but its credentials are being questioned by workers in a growing unionisation drive in its US locations.