?A federal district court ordered Starbucks on Aug. 18 to rehire seven workers that it fired after learning about union organizing efforts at a Memphis, Tenn., store, according to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). We’ve gathered articles on the news from SHRM Online and other outlets.
NLRB Prevails on Petition for Temporary Relief
In the NLRB’s petition for temporary relief, the board stated that after the organizing effort, Starbucks directed coercive measures at employees. These included disciplining the employee responsible for starting the campaign; more closely supervising its employees; closing the area of the store on days organizers had invited the public and customers to come show support for the campaign; and removing all pro-union materials from the community bulletin board inside the store, including notes from customers expressing support for the campaign, according to the NLRB. Then, following increased media coverage and public support for the campaign, Starbucks fired seven union activists on the same day, including five of the six members of the union organizing committee.
(NLRB)
Starbucks Contests Ruling
“We strongly disagree with the judge’s ruling in this case. These individuals violated numerous policies and failed to maintain a secure work environment and safety standards,” Starbucks said in a statement. “Interest in a union does not exempt partners from following policies that are in place to protect partners, our customers and the communities we serve.” The company plans to appeal the decision.
(NPR)
Policies in Question
Policies that the fired employees allegedly broke included going behind the counter while off-duty and unlocking a locked door to allow an unauthorized person to enter the store while off-duty. The NLRB argued Starbucks fired the workers based on policies it did not consistently enforce, saying they were a pretext for opposition to unionization.
(The Hill)
NLRB General Counsel’s Statement
“Today’s federal court decision ordering Starbucks to reinstate the seven unlawfully fired Starbucks workers in Memphis is a crucial step in ensuring that these workers, and all Starbucks workers, can freely exercise their right to join together to improve their working conditions and form a union,” Jennifer Abruzzo, NLRB general counsel, said in a statement.
Unionization at Starbucks Challenged
More than 200 Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since December 2021. Starbucks maintained that National Labor Relations Board employees secretly coordinated with union organizers near Kansas City, Mo., and asked the agency to stop mail-in votes across the country until there has been a full investigation.
(SHRM Online) and (NPR)