The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving Starbucks and its firing of seven employees who were accused of supporting unionization efforts at one of its cafes in Memphis, Tennessee. This decision comes after a lower court ruled that Starbucks likely discouraged other employees from exercising their labor rights by terminating the Memphis workers in 2022. Notably, this is the first Supreme Court case related to the ongoing nationwide campaign to unionize Starbucks stores.
The Memphis store is just one of more than 370 Starbucks locations in the United States that have unionized since 2021. The Seattle-based coffee chain had been non-union for many years. The U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) determined that Starbucks had unlawfully fired the Memphis employees, alleging that the company aimed to send a message to other workers who supported unionization.
To rectify the situation, the NLRB sought an injunction to compel Starbucks to rehire the terminated employees. U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman, based in Memphis, granted the NLRB’s request. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, subsequently upheld Judge Lipman’s ruling in 2023, criticizing Starbucks’ actions.
Starbucks claims that it fired the workers for violating a company safety policy by opening the store without consent and allowing journalists inside. Although Starbucks rehired the seven employees to comply with Judge Lipman’s order, the company has still pursued an appeal to the Supreme Court regarding the 6th Circuit’s decision.
Starbucks argues that the 6th Circuit applied a relatively low standard, requiring the NLRB to show only “reasonable cause” to believe that the company committed labor law violations. Various major business groups have supported Starbucks’ appeal, contending that federal courts, including the 6th Circuit, have made it too easy for the NLRB to obtain judicial orders that force businesses to address alleged illegal labor practices.
Over 700 complaints have been filed with the NLRB, accusing Starbucks of unlawful labor practices, such as firing union supporters, worker surveillance, and store closures during union campaigns. Apart from the Memphis case, the 6th Circuit is currently reviewing another Starbucks appeal related to an NLRB ruling that prevents the company from terminating or disciplining employees at a location in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Other U.S. appeals courts are also examining NLRB rulings involving Starbucks, including allegations of illegal termination of union organizers in Philadelphia and refusal to engage in collective bargaining with unionized workers in Seattle.
Starbucks denies any wrongdoing and emphasizes that it provides competitive wages, benefits, and upholds the rights of its employees under federal labor law.
Source: F5mag.com