Judge Rules Starbucks Illegally Fired Workers After Unionizing

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Facts

• On Wednesday, US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) judge Michael Rosas ruled that Starbucks had illegally fired seven workers in New York in an alleged retaliation against unions and ordered the former employees' reinstatement.¹
• The case revolved around unionization efforts in Buffalo, NY, and included 32 unfair labor charges made by Workers United against Starbucks for its actions between August 2021 and July 2022 at 21 Buffalo-area stores, including the company’s first location to unionize.²
• Rosas’s 200-page ruling — which found the company had committed 'egregious and widespread misconduct' —  also ordered Starbucks to compensate 27 other workers for alleged violations, such as not granting time off, and required it to reopen its branch in Cheektowaga.¹
• It also requires Starbucks to post a 13-page notice listing its alleged labor violations in all its US stores. It also ordered CEO Howard Schultz to participate in a reading of employees’ rights and distribute a recording of it to all US employees.³
• This comes as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced the set up of a vote to subpoena Schultz after the CEO declined to testify in a hearing about employees' unionization efforts on March 8.⁴
• Starbucks — which has recently raised pay and made other changes amid employee grievances — defended its actions as lawful and in line with policies after around 270 stores of the approximate 9k in the US voted to join unions last year.⁵

Sources: ¹CBS, ²CNN, ³Q13fox, ⁴Truthout and ⁵BBC News.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by Guardian. Faux-progressive Starbucks is doing whatever it can to stop its workers from unionizing, even if it means resorting to illegal retaliation against workers, and this is unacceptable. Workers in all industries deserve the right to unionize and collectively bargain —  this ruling will go a long way to ensuring this.
• Right narrative, as provided by Daily wire. Woke Starbucks workers are milking the current unionization frenzy simply so that they can work less for the same money and benefits, and with each demand, the quality of each location deteriorates rapidly. Ironically, however, unions can't come close to the benefits that Starbucks can offer. Rather than obstructing progress and making boisterous accusations, employees would be better off benefiting from the changes Starbucks can make unilaterally.

Predictions