Starbucks was accused of retaliated against union workers by closing a popular location in Ithaca, New York.
The National Labor Relations Board found merit in the union's claim that the store closing was meant to discourage workers from organizing. The director asked that Starbucks be ordered to reopen the location after filing a complaint at the board.
Starbucks was accused of threatening to deny benefits and wage increases to workers if they unionized, as well as disciplining or firing workers who were activists.
The director said Starbucks should have to make workers whole for their lost wages and give back five workers.
Unless a settlement is reached, the allegations will be heard by an administrative law judge.
The National Labor Relations Board adjudicates disputes between unions and employers. The company has repeatedly broken the law by firing pro-union employees, cutting their hours and giving pay hikes to those who don't unionize.
Starbucks denied re-taliating against union supporters. Starbucks agreed to transfer baristas to other locations in order to keep College Avenue open, according to a company spokesman.
When operations necessitate, the company will open or close a store without regard to union activity.
Starbucks has seen a lot of organizing in the last few months. Since the first elections in the Buffalo, New York, area last December, workers at more than 200 stores around the country have voted to join the union. From the beginning, the company fought the organizing effort.
“I think they wanted to scare partners out of unionizing ... This is the perfect opportunity to make them an example.”
- Evan Sunshine, barista at the College Avenue Starbucks in Ithaca, New York
One of the most severe charges coming from the National Labor Relations Board is that Starbucks is closing stores to make it harder for the union to win. It can make other workers think twice before trying to organize if a workplace is shut down.
It is against the law to close a workplace in order to avoid a union or discourage unionization. Starbucks did not retaliate for organizing when it closed its stores.
The baristas at the College Avenue Starbucks unionized in April. They went on strike to protest a broken grease trap that caused a mess and unsafe working conditions.
Starbucks decided to close the College Avenue store due to the grease trap. The baristas were given a warning.
According to Evan, Starbucks gave employees anexhaustive list of reasons why the store should be closed, but he thinks there was one motivating factor.
The labor program student at Cornell said that the store closed due to the strike. I believe they were trying to scare partners out of unionizing. Three stores are located within a couple miles of each other. Workers are very outspoken. The chance to make them an example is great.
Starbucks retaliated against Sunshine by denying him a transfer to another store or allowing him to enroll in the coffee master program, according to the complaint.
There is a new Starbucks in Ithaca. During the summer he worked at a Starbucks store in Northern Virginia.
Some of the College Avenue workers found jobs at nearby Starbucks while others took jobs with other employers. Some financial assistance was given by the union while baristas crowdfunded for those who were unemployed.
College Avenue was the first store to close after a successful union election, according to Starbucks Workers United. In favor of the union, 19 workers voted.
Starbucks denies the union's claims that it has fired organizers because of their activism. A federal judge ordered the company to restore seven workers in Memphis, Tennessee who were fired earlier this year, saying there was "reasonable cause" to believe they were retaliated against. Starbucks didn't succeed in appealing that ruling.
The regional director of the National Labor Relations Board found merit in the claims of the Ithaca workers.
He said that they all thought that they had been retaliated against and treated badly.
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