The regional director of the National Labor Relations Board in Buffalo, N.Y., issued a complaint Friday accusing Starbucks of 29 unfair labor practice charges that included over 200 violations of the National Labor Relations Act.
Starbucks Workers United made claims against the company in Buffalo, where the union organizing effort began in August.
Starbucks is accused of interfering with, restraining and coercing employees to unionize in various ways. The regional office of the independent federal agency said the coffee giant threatened and intimidated workers by closing down stores in the area, reduced workers compensation, enforced policies against union supporters in adiscriminatory way, engaged in surveillance and fired workers.
The complaint states that Starbucks officials made repeated visits to Buffalo and held mandatory anti-union meetings, and that they promised an increase in benefits if workers refrained from organizing. The center of the union drive has been Buffalo. The first store to vote in favor of organizing was in the city and the movement spread across the country.
More than 50 stores have voted to organize with Workers United since the movement started a year ago. Five people voted against organizing. There are nearly 9000 Starbucks in the country.
The company was charged with a number of charges by the union. Starbucks has an opportunity to respond to the accusations.
To remedy the allegations, the general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board wants to have either Starbucks or its executive vice president, Rossann Williams, hold a meeting with employees, union and government representatives present. An official would read a notice of employee rights at the meeting.
Starbucks has been saying that there has never been a union busting in Buffalo. The record is being set straight by the NLRB. Starbucks will be held accountable for their conduct in Western New York. This complaint exposes the truth of Howard Schultz's anti-union war and exposes Starbucks' facade as a progressive company.
Starbucks didn't respond to the request for comment.
In the past, Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz has been an opponent of unionization. The company recently announced pay and training investments for workers, but said they couldn't be given to unionized stores without separate bargaining discussions.
The union contract will not be close to what Starbucks offers, according to the company's CEO.
The White House hosted leaders from organizing campaigns at Starbucks and other companies on Thursday. Starbucks wrote to the White House asking for a meeting as it says the majority of its partners oppose being in a union.
Starbucks has been accused of more than 100 unfair labor practice charges by the Starbucks Workers United union. The National Labor Relations Board petitioned a federal court to force Starbucks to bring back activist employees who say they were removed due to union campaigning.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
