The employees, who are backed by the union organizing Starbucks' workers, filed class-action lawsuits in state court in Illinois and Colorado. The dress code also requires workers to wear black, gray, dark blue, brown, tan or white shoes made from a waterproof material. But under the new dress code, employees who don't comply aren't allowed to start their shifts. The plaintiffs seek damages on behalf of all Starbucks workers in those states, whether or not their stores are unionized. Multiple plaintiffs, like Allen, said they requested reimbursement from Starbucks to conform to the dress code but were denied.